HikaRi no NoctuRne
by eL-ch4n
Summary: She was once called the 'legend' knight, yet now she was just an ordinary blacksmith. He was the prince, yet disguised himself as her assistant. Will romance spark between them as they join a journey to search for the Crystal? Lightis. Chapter 8!
1. First Meeting

Since FFXIII Versus has released the name for the players, I've decided to rename all the names I've been writing before. For those who have read this stories, I'll provide some information so you guys won't be confused ;)

**Clyde **is **Prompto**

**Malchus **is **Gladiolus**

Thank you for reading ;)

-1st June 2011

* * *

Hi, this is my first fanfic about Final Fantasy especially xIII and most of all, it was the first time for me to create fanfic for something that hasn't been released yet, anyway, I found it interesting yet somehow disappointing about this game. Because Noctis and Lightning was two different version games T_T I thought it would be really awesome if they were made in one game. Anyway, this was a crossover fic, enjoy reading it, guyz x)

Don't mind if you want to ask something that you don't understand.

**Warning** **:**

Before reading, there are some warnings that I need to give.

1. Since the game hasn't released yet, I don't know if Lightning and Noctis in my fanfic will be OOC or not

2. I may be put some other characters from the other Final Fantasy. Maybe I'll add some of my OC too, though I haven't made one x)

3. I know nothing about the Crystals (What is it? Or what is its power?), so I made my own mind about the crystal.

4. I don't know if Fabula was a she/he or if Fabula was really a person or just a name, but in this fic I made Fabula as a she and name of person.

5. My grammar is sucks and my vocabs are limited, so please just enjoy it, 'kay? X)

Disclaimer : I don't own any of final fantasy

Now, let's go to the story, shall we ? ^^

**Summary :** She was once the 'legend' knight, yet now she is just an ordinary blacksmith. He was the prince, yet disguised himself as her assistant. But one day, the secret will be revealed and the journey of the crystals will begin.

* * *

**Hikari no Nocturne**

oLoLoLoLoLoLo

Chapter 1 **First Meeting**

Fabula Kingdom, it was located far from the other Kingdom, it was living in its ivory tower. The citizens were really kind and since it wasn't a big Kingdom, the citizens knew each other and even the King and the Queen like to visit their people. It was so peaceful, surrounded by forest and beautiful view.

One day, after the 47th celebration of that Kingdom, a great war began. A war between the _angel_ and the _devil_ who were fighting over the Last Crystal, cost many lives. Every Kingdom must join that war, to obtain the power of the Crystals. Fabula Kingdom was one of those which got the big affect from that war though Fabula Kingdom actually tried to avoid that war. The people that were survived from that war were those who had been evacuated to a safer place. _Mountain_was the only place that far from that war and was the safest place. The war itself only took 1 year, but the damages after it was destructive. It took another 2 year for all Kingdoms to recover

1 year had passed after that war. The people, who had been evacuated and now continued their life thought that nobody could escape from that war, everyone who had joined that war were _all_ dead. The Crystal itself was divided into 4 by 'God' and was located in 4 Kingdom. Nobody expected to hear the real reason behind the war, the chronicle of the war and the time when the 4 divided Crystals joined into one _again_.

* * *

_Fabula Kingdom, 3 year later after the Great War…_

"Tifa." A blonde man, who was reading a newspaper and sitting on the couch, was calling the woman in front of him, who was standing in front of the table and preparing the tea. The woman, though her ages were old, but her face still young. Her long black hair just hung loosely behind her back. She turned to the blonde man and asked, "What's wrong Cloud?"

Cloud, the blonde man shook his head and put the newspaper on the table beside him. "Nothing."

Tifa just giggled and continued pouring the tea. She then brought the tea to him and he took one. He stared into the glass and thinking. His mind was into somewhere and murmuring about something, "3 years had passed already." Though it was not loud, but it was clearly enough to be heard by Tifa.

"Yeah, times sure quickly passed by, hah?" She smiled to him. She put her glass of tea on the table and sat beside him.

"I wonder if _she_ will be alright." He murmured once more before drinking the tea.

"I'm sure she will be alright, after all she is our daughter right? And anyway, why don't you just drink the tea and then help me to clean the kitchen?" giggled Tifa.

"Yeah, you're right." Cloud smiled softly before finished drinking his glass of tea.

_A young woman was wandering around. She was wearing a war outfit _(AN: She was wearing the clothes that she wore, I just don't know how to describe it x))._ She was looking everywhere and found out she was in a chamber place, a dark and a small room. She tried to see for light, but she couldn't find any of it. She walked slowly until suddenly the candle was lighted. Now there were many lights, so, she could see her surrounding. She found out a group of people were standing surrounding her. All the people were all wearing dark suits and something to cover their head. She couldn't see the faces. Slowly she counted one by one._

'_1,2,3,…,7, there were seven of them.' She thought in her mind._

"_Lightning." One from the group, who was just standing in front of her, started to speak to her._

"_Who are you?" asked Lightning, the young woman._

"_We called ourselves as__**'Ratroit'**__."_

"_The usual question, what do you want from me?" Lightning shouted and tried to act brave though she was somehow trembling and scared._

"_Tsck, you still can make some jokes." giggled the person beside the one who first started to talk._

"_Well, if that's so, so please answer my question."_

"_We want you to join us." The first person, who started to speak, said again and offered his hand to Lightning._

"_And my reward?" She crossed her hands in front of her chest._

"_Well, we will give you the power of the Crystals."_

"_So now, we are talking about the Crystals, aren't we?" asked Lightning again._

"_Of course we are, so what's your answer?" The first person continued again, still offering the hand._

"_No." She stated it bluntly, coldly and clearly. She put her hands on her hips and glaring to each of them. She was trying to remember about their aura._

"_Excuse me?"_

"_I said no. Are you deaf or something? I don't want to join anything that can make me connected to the Crystals__**again**__."_

"_If you say so. But still, we will still give you 1 week to think about it and remember only 1 week, no more. We will come again to you, to your__**dream**__."_

_Suddenly, they were vanished and the light was turned off. She shouted, "Wait!" but nothing happened and she kept shouting._

"WAIT!" Lightning shouted and sat up from her bed. She looked around and realized she was in her room, on her bed and she were having a dream, the same dream that kept haunted her for these recent days, but this time it was clearer than before. _'Maybe, before, they haven't gained enough power to come into my dream. Sigh, they were offering me something, but they haven't told me except the Crystals. The Crystals." _Lighning was staring at her hand and thinking about her past. She shook her head and slapped her cheek slowly to gain her conscious. She got up from the bed, took a shower and put back her usual outfit.

She walked out from her room to downstairs and went to her 'work' room. There was a guy with blonde hair, who was already worked. He was standing in front of the big Fireplace and melting some kind of iron.

"Snow." Lightning was murmuring the blonde guy's name. The blonde guy, Snow, turned his head to see Lightning, who was still a bit 'sleepy', and said hi to her.

"So, did you sleep well, Light?" Light, it was her nickname for him and only her close friends that could call her that.

"Not really, Snow, so how about the swords?" asked her as she walked closer to Snow.

Snow, on the other hand, turned back to his job and continued joining the iron. "Great, so far it was doing great. Anyway, why don't you walk in front of the cashier? Perhaps there will be another customer, who knows?" He grinned to her and she smiled back reluctantly.

She walked slowly to the front desk and sitting on the chair. It was just 9 o'clock, so, there were still few people who came by and asked for her help. She was a blacksmith, a person that makes and repairs things from iron. Her friend, Snow, was helping her and they were doing this job. She was the boss and well, he was the assistant or maybe the hard worker?

A young woman, who looked just the same age, maybe a little younger than Lightning, with red hair, which was tied into two ponytails, was walking happily. A smile plastered on her face and she was sitting in front of Lightning now.

"Vanille?" asked Lightning. The young woman smiled happily to Lightning.

"What are you doing at here?" murmured Lightning. There was no one except them in front.

"I'm just passing by, can't I be here?" asked Vanille with pleading eyes.

"No, it's just…you're the princess. Shouldn't you be in your Kingdom or something?" explained Lightning.

"Yeah, you're right. Spending more time with those old hags. Aww, come on, you know I hate to be at that place and they were all talking about the engagement thing." Vanille sighed before continuing her sentences, "Besides, you know who I like, right?"

Lightning took a big breath before nodding her head slowly. Vanille smile happily again and clapped her hands. When Vanille, was about to speak, the door was opened. Another customer had come. The customer was a guy with dark blue hair, tall enough, his muscles and body was perfectly built. He was wearing a long dark blue robe and long dark blue pants (AN: I don't know how to describe it, but it was Noctis' usual cloth). Behind him was another guy with blonde hair. This guy was also had the same appearance with the other guy, except his hair was blonde and he was wearing a white t-shirt and a blue-black vest.

For a moment, Lightning was staring at them in awe. She shook her head and got back to reality when Vanille's voice ruining her mind.

"What can we do for you, Mister?" Vanille asked friendly.

The blonde guy smirked and said to his companion, "I don't know that they are having such a cute and beautiful woman to do man's things." Lightning glared at that blonde guy, but seemed that it didn't make any effect, so Lightning went to the other person.

"Seem your friend here is somehow take wrong idea about this place." The dark blue guy smirked to Lightning and said, "So, you think I don't take the wrong idea?"

"Just tell me what all of you want and get away before I lost my temper." Lightning groaned heavily.

"Alright, we want to see the owner of this place and the blacksmith." The blonde guy still giggled slowly.

"So, what do you want?" asked Lightning again, who was already infuriated.

"Don't you hear us? We want to see the owner of this place and the blacksmith." The dark blue guy repeated the same statement but this time with colder tone than his friends.

"Yeah, do all man really stupid?" asked Lightning to Vanille, who was giggling and trying to hold her laugh.

"Not really, Light. They just don't want to believe that women can do men's work." Vanille said while holding her laugh.

Out of nowhere, Snow was standing right behind Lightning and said, "Well, if you want to see the owner and the blacksmith, I am one of them, but tell you what, she is better than me, you know?" Snow raised his eyebrows to them.

The blonde guy said, "Well, sure she has the temper, Noct."

The dark blue guy said, "Don't-call-me-that." with cold tone.

The blonde guy chuckled, "Alright, alright, Noctis, there, better?"

"Whatever, Prompto." Noctis murmured.

"So, what do you guys want?" Lightning asked once more. She tried her best for not losing her temper and holding her anger.

"We? Actually, he is the one who insists me to come here." Prompto, the blonde guy pointed his finger to Noctis, who were still calm and staring at Lighting. He was looking Lightning from top to bottom and Lightning felt uneasy about this, so she shouted, "Quick, what do you want? I think you are not from this country, are you?"

Prompto nodded with a big smile. Noctis murmured slowly, "I want to be your assistant."

"What?" Lightning confused with him and asked him for sure.

He didn't say anything anymore except walking closer to her and staring at her. Lightning noticed that he was taller about 2 or 3 inch from her and she needed to look up to see him clearly. He smirked for God knows why and said, "I am here to apply as your assistant."

* * *

_**To be continued…**_

* * *

So, how is it? It took me almost 1 hour and a half to finish it because my grammar is sucks and I needed some time to look over it once more.

About the title, well, I didn't know what to make, but i ended up with this one, perhaps this one better?

Anyway, thank you for reading. I hope I could update faster x)

Please review for me, I know you want it, hehehe

**eL-ch4n**


	2. Applying for the Job

**Hello there n,n**

**If you noticed, I changed the title because I think this one suits better, don't you think so? Hehehe**

**Anyway, here's a new chapter from me. Maybe it's kind of long on or maybe not.**

**Just enjoy this ^^**

**Hikari no Nocturne**

oLoLoLoLoLo

Chapter 2 **Applying for the Job**

**'**_**Accepted or not?'**_

oLoLoLoLoLo

"Well, if that's so, let's see first." Lightning crossed her hands in front of chest, made her looked like she was hugging herself. She walked slowly surrounding him. She scanned him from his head till the bottom of him.

From his appearance, Lightning guessed he was _actually_ rich because he could have fine suit like that. In addition, he was having two swords each of his side. At that time, if you wanted to have weapons, you should pay much money to have the permission or the documents of bringing those weapons.

She looked closely to him but still stood on where her place. He had those beautiful blue eyes, that every time she saw them, she was like in the deepest sea. His hair color was somehow confusing. Is it grayish blue? Or it is bluish gray? Whatever it is, Lightning liked the color of his hair and she wondered what it would be to rub that hair with these hands. It felt good, _perhaps_.

Lightning noticed that his body was well-built. He had those muscular tones, shoulders and body. He seemed used to do the hard job or maybe other activities that made him could gain that perfect body. She knew for some reasons that he was capable of doing this blacksmith thing, refining and forging thing. However, she didn't feel she would like to have him as her coworker. Perfect…maybe because he was _too_ perfect that made her didn't feel it was right

As Lightning scanning him, Noctis did the same too to Lightning, which was not very obvious. He was scanning her. She was actually –no really- beautiful, but he wouldn't just admit that, he **couldn't **admit that. It wasn't like him. If he were Prompto, maybe he could admit that she was beautiful because it suited Prompto's style. She had that long brownish blonde hair which she let it loosely. He for God knows why really wanted to use those hands to rub that very hair slowly, kiss it to smell the shampoo she used. She was obviously shorter than him for about 2 or 3 inches, but it wasn't hard for him to see her clearly without her notice.

He _liked_her for she seemed to be different compared to the girls around him, the girls who usually like to flirt him and boastful. She was so independent and strong yet so fragile at the same time. Whatever happened at her past made her like that. In addition, he wanted to hug her whenever she felt weak and comfort her whenever she needed one. He wondered why he felt that he like this feeling, the feeling of _having_ her.

Lightning was now standing in front of him. They were now staring at each other. Brown eyes meet those dark blue eyes. Noctis like the color of her eyes _too_, they made him felt calm and relaxed.

Feeling close like that, Noctis really wanted to hug her, spoke some words softly to those ears and _kiss_ her! _'Stop it Noctis! It doesn't sound you!'_ thought Noctis in his mind. Though outside he looked like calm and cold, but inside his mind was mixed to each other, he was _nervous_ inside.

While they were scanning for what seemed like forever, Snow stared at them with sad eyes. He leaned to the wall beside him, crossing his hands in front of his chest, and closed his eyes.

Vanille was still sitting on the chair that she sat before. She glanced to Prompto, the blonde guy, which he noticed and smirked to her back. He flirt her that made her giggled softly with his act.

The time seemed to stop at that moment, the silenced seemed like to stay at that time forever, but _of course_ Snow wouldn't let that. He cleared his throat to get their attention. Lightning turned around to face Snow, she slowly put down her hands beside her. Vanille and Prompto stopped their _secret_ action and put their attention to Snow. Noctis just glanced to him, but back to his own mind again.

Without being told, Lightning knew precisely what he wanted. "Vanille, would you please take care of our guests here? Snow and I would like to have some discussions for a moment." Lightning said that to Vanille with a smile, when she walked passed Vanille to Snow's place. When she reached him, Snow pulled himself and walked to the store room with Lightning behind him.

When they had left, the silence took place once again. "So, what would both of you like to drink?" asked Vanille with a smile.

"Nah, I'm not thirst yet. But perhaps you can tell us where to sit?" asked Prompto to her with joking tone.

"Ah yeah, my bad. You can sit there on the sofa next to the door or maybe you would like to sit beside me here?" Vanille asked as she pointed to the chair beside her.

"I'll choose the sofa." Noctis said with cold tone as he turned around and walked closer to the sofa. "And you know that I'd like to be alone for a moment Prompto?"

"Well, yeah of course, Noct. I know you much." Prompto said and he walked to sit beside Vanille and continued their chitchat. Noctis noticed that Prompto called him with that nickname, but he seemed didn't care about it and ignored it. He sat on the sofa, leaning to it and sighed. He stared to the ceiling while his mind was in somewhere else.

-x-

_There was a guy with dark hair standing in front Noctis. He gave Noctis a piece of paper which Noctis quickly took it before even glancing to it. They were in the place that was really destroyed of the war. There were many ruins surround them, the smell of dead body and the smell of something being burnt. Even near their place, they were many skeletons of those people who lived at that place. That place was close enough to Fabula Kingdom, that place couldn't be built anymore for the wreckages of that place were too much damaged. That place called by others as 'The Defunción' for there were many deaths surround it._

_Standing at there made Noctis felt dizzy. He even wanted to throw out what he had eaten before. "Hold still, Noctis, I knew it's hard and I knew this place__**is**__disgusting, but you are strong cause you are our only hope." The guy talked to Noctis slowly and with a smile on his face to encourage Noctis._

"_The only hope for us is the blacksmith from Fabula Kingdom,__**Gladiolus.**_**" **_mocked Noctis._

"_Yeah, I know that, Noct, but to gain __**his **__trust, we shall need your help too. So, indirectly, you are also our only hope." Gladiolus explained to him. He put his right hand on Noctis shoulder to convince the blue guy even more and smiled to him._

"_Why me, Gladiolus? Of all people in this world, in this Kingdom, and hell even in this place, why me, Gladiolus? Answer me!" asked Noctis. He was angry, it was the fact, but he was really smart to control the emotion on his tone and face. People wouldn't know at that time if he was truly angry or not. His face was emotionless, but his tone was a bit higher tough._

"_The question you shall ask to yourself is, 'Why not me? Of all people in this world, why not me, Gladiolus?' It's true, Noctis, why not you?" Gladiolus smiled again, he was clever to convince that blue guy. Sure enough now he was more comfortable and relaxed._

"_You must hurry though. We don't have much time. The __**crystals **__and this world held on the blacksmith and you of course, Noct."_

_Gladiolus smiled for the last time before he vanished with the light and went from Noctis' view. And for Noctis, he teleported himself by his power to the Fabula Kingdom, but before he went to that Kingdom, he needed someone's help. A help of his friend who knew that Kingdom much enough__and it was__**Prompto**__._

-x-

"Ehem…" It was Lightning who brought him back to reality.

Noctis pulled himself from the sofa and stood up in front of Lightning. His face looked calm and cold yet inside he was _panicking_ and _nervous_. He remembered an advice he get from Prompto. _'If you want to gain someone's trust, you need to be friend with him.'_ But, be friend with someone wasn't really Noctis' style, but he needed to gain the trust from the blacksmith. So, perhaps by being the assistant he could at least gain the trust. However, there's still one question on his head.

'_Gladiolus mentioned it was blacksmith. He never told me that there'd be two of them. If there're only __**one **__blacksmith then I need to find the __**'chosen one'**__.'_

"So?" asked Noctis calmly.

Lightning sighed. She never knew it would be this hard to tell him.

-x-

"_What do you have in your mind, Snow?" Lightning asked when they have reached the room and gotten inside it. She was closing the door when she asked that question._

"_I think we shall hire him." Snow said that calmly afraid it would make Lightning angry because he noticed that for some reasons Lightning __**didn't **__like Noctis._

"_Your reason?" Lightning raised her eyebrows, she went to the chair in front of her and took a seat._

"_Well, remember that our workshop is the only one here and both of us in this very big Kingdom that has so many people are the only ones who could do this refining thing?" He explained that slowly, reminding him about their situation._

_Truth to be told, their workshop are the only one. In economics it'd be called as the monopoly market. Fortunately for the people, they were very kind. They never put high prize for their work and they also received food as their payment sometimes. Well, they never hated to have the food because sometimes they didn't know what to eat and didn't have time to do that._

"_Well, I know it doesn't really have great effect for you as I knew that you had been working __**alone **__before I came and you still could survive." Snow sighed then continued. "But, don't you think those people out there are hanging on us? They need our help that bad to repair their swords, their weapons, and the worst their kitchen utensils. Not mention sometimes the government needed us to make the swords for the soldiers ASAP. If this workshop have more people that can do with iron, won't it be nice? We'll have much time to break and relax. We almost didn't get sleep well for these recent days. In addition, when there're two of us, one did the refining job the other services the customer? Don't you think if there're three of us, it'd be faster? And hell even we'll have better income?"_

_Lightning sighed. She knew exactly that Snow was right, hell he was very right, however, she didn't like the idea of having him as their coworker. Truth, she felt that he was able to do this job although maybe he needed to be taught a little like what she had done to Snow. And that they needed help so their work wouldn't be piled up at the storage room. However, like she had felt before, he was __**way too perfect **__that made her scared. Moreover, she felt unease around him. She knew he was hiding something which she didn't want to know, but she needed to find it out._

_Lightning was in dilemma. Hired him would make her felt unsafe and unease. But didn't hire him would make her felt bad to Snow and hell even to Noctis because she thought he was from far place._

_Snow was staring him like he was trying to read her mind, but he failed. "Lightning, I don't know what you are thinking, but perhaps I can make some guesses. Maybe you are afraid of him, of what he is hiding, of what makes him really want to get this job, but Lightning, I'm aware of that too."_

"_Yet you still want him?" She cut him off._

_Snow nodded, "Yeah, I don't care about that too much because whatever it is, if he doesn't want it to be revealed, don't push him and we can just ignore. We really need the help to my opinion." Snow was about to continue when Lightning cut him once again by standing up and said, "Don't say anything anymore. I agree with you about needing help, but it hasn't to be from that guy, has it?" She sighed before continuing again, "But, I think it isn't a bad idea to have him. However, if I find something that makes me doesn't like him, I'll fire him no matter what it costs, got it?" She said that with a smile._

"_Good to hear, all decisions are in your hand after that, Light." He replied to that smiled too._

-x-

"When shall I work then?" asked Noctis calmly.

"Tomorrow at eight. I warn you, I hate someone being late. Ah yeah, you should thanks to Snow for he seemed to like you a lot that he really convince me to hire you. About your salary we could talk about it later." Lightning put her right hand on her hips and glared at Noctis.

"How much it is, I don't care." _'After all, it wasn't my intention of coming here.'_ thought him in his mind.

"Alright, then you'll just have 1000 Gennies for first month, we'll see later for the next one. Before that, I need to know your name of course." She gave her hand for him to be shaken.

"**Noctis Cerilla** and yours?" He received that hand and shook it.

"My name's **Lightning Strife.** That blonde guy who is my assistant, named **Snow** **Valentine** –pointing to Snow and Snow nodded his head which Noctis replied by nodding his head too- and that young lady over there named Vanille."

"His name's Prompto as you've noticed." Noctis introduced Prompto. Prompto stood up and smiled to them. "Well then, I should go now. After all, tomorrow is my work day. Now, I think I shall walk around to know this place well enough." Noctis continued and bid them good bye.

He walked to the door and Prompto followed at behind. They walked out from that place slowly until they were nowhere to be seen from that workshop.

After they were gone, Lightning sat on that sofa, where Noctis sat before, while Snow continued his work. Vanille saw Lightning was very tired and somehow sad. She looked at Lightning for a moment.

"I forgot to ask where they lived." Lightning murmured that slowly and Vanille looked to her.

"Well, Prompto didn't tell me too about where they live, but I guess it won't be too far from here."

"So, you seem very close with this Prompto guy, huh Vanille?" asked Lightning with joking tone.

Vanille blushed, she looked to her feet. "Well, yeah he is nice, very friendly too, but not more than that, Light. He's just…a good friend, that's all."

"Whatever." Lightning murmured and leaned to the sofa. Like Noctis before, she leaned to it and stared at the ceiling. She closed her eyes to relax.

-x-

"So, what did you get from her, Prompto?" Noctis asked to Prompto, who was whistling happily.

"Not much, but I have something good for you." Prompto said with a smirk. They kept walking to their new 'home'. While they were walking, the people surround them were glancing to them. Some of them **especially** the girls admired them and fond them a lot. Some of the rest wondering where they came from as their clothes seemed to be different and they were new faces at that Kingdom. While the rest were guessing who they were or maybe ignoring them.

"Finally you have something to tell, Prompto." Noctis said reluctantly.

"Well, I always have something to tell, Noct. The thing is whether you want to hear it or not." He chuckled with that statement.

"Not fun, Prompto and don't call me with that nickname." He glared to Prompto.

"Why not? Gladiolus called you with that and you seem to ignore him?"

"Well, he is different case, Prompto." He stated that coldly.

"Well then you need to make me in different case too, Noct." He giggled to Noctis. He circled his arm around Noctis neck. That made Noctis unease and made some of the people thought that they **were **gay or homosexual or else.

Prompto whispered to Noctis ear, "Vanille said that it was only Lightning who worked as **the blacksmith**, Snow came just 1 year before to apply that job too. Lightning seems to like him and hire him. He is quite good, but still Lightning needed to teach him." After whispering to Noctis, Prompto took off his hands again from Noctis neck and walked like usual.

'_Then it means she is __**the blacksmith**__.'_thought Noctis in his mind. _'It'd be fun.'_ He smirked again for the many times at that very day.

_The 'God' who divided the Crystals had a prophecy_

_There would be another war_

_The war to gain the Crystal's power_

_The only way to prevent the war is to erase the Crystal's power_

_There's only one way_

_One hope_

_Gaining the trust from the __**blacksmith**_

_But the only one who could do that_

_Was the one of the Royal from the __**Crystal's Kingdom**_

_The __**Prince**_

* * *

Well, this was really long for me to write n,n

Thank you so much for those who reviewed –*hugging all of the reviewers tightly*-

And thank you too for those who read this story -*hugging them tightly too xD*-

Actually while doing this chapter, I was having Chemistry exam, but I needed to write this chapter because if I don't, I'm afraid I'd be forget about the plot n,n

Err...I thought this chapter has too much italic word and bold word too, but perhaps you could know why I did that n,n

**Luph u all xP**

**eL-ch4n**


	3. Night

**Title: Hikari no Nocturne**

**Rating: T**

**Genre : Romance/Adventure**

**Summary :**

She was once the 'legend' knight, yet now she is just an ordinary blacksmith. He was the prince, yet disguised himself as her assistant. But one day, the secret will be revealed and the journey of the crystals will begin.

* * *

**Chapter 3**

"**Night"**

_Dark clouds will move  
Light rays will come  
Dark night will end  
Bright day will start  
But walk this night_

_There was an image of a beautiful young lady with long hair. The image was a close up from the face of the young lady. She had a white and smooth skin, making every guy wanted to touch it slowly. Her hair was brown with a bit of yellow and below shoulder-length. She had a pair of beautiful amethyst eyes. Those eyes were filled of sadness. At the edge of both eyes, there were tears. Slowly, the tears rolled down, showing the perfect sorrow she was feeling. Her red lips mouthed something. She mouthed the same thing again and again, but there was no voice came out of it. It looked like she was calling for someone, a very special person for her._

**_Snow…_**

_Walk seeing its stars  
Seeing its bright light  
Seeing its white shine  
It's the beauty of night  
So seen only in night_

The room was very dark. We couldn't see anything clearly at there. We just could see the silhouette of many things and we could tell that it was a bedroom considering the bed silhouette. There was a figure sitting on the bed. He was half seated. Slowly he got up from the bed. He walked quietly until he stopped in front of a door. He opened the door ajar making a shrieking sound. The light from that room shone the dark room a little. He walked inside to the sink. He stopped at there for a moment before washing his face.

Suddenly, he stared at his hands for long time. It was like he had done something wrong with the hands. It was shown in his green (or blue) eyes. They were filled of sorrow. He remembered something, a memory of his past. He was running, trying to catch a hand, a hand of a girl. He called the name of the person again and again, but the hand he tried to reach kept getting far and far away from him until it suddenly vanished.

He washed his hands and his face once again. In front of him was a mirror and beside it hung a towel. He reached for the towel and wept his wet face. The mirror showed a guy with blonde hair half-naked. The guy was _Snow_. He stared at his reflection for long time and slowly tears rolled down from both his eyes. He was crying and it was the first time since the last time he felt such great sadness.

He was going to do thing that he knew later he would regret, but that was the only thing he could do at the moment to save _her_. Snow was crying in a very low voice. He was trying not to make any noise that could disturb others. He wouldn't want to disturb Lightning's rest. He knew that she had worked harder than him. After all, she was also a girl. Her body couldn't hold much pain compared to his.

Speaking of Lightning, he remembered Noctis, the guy he had met before. When Noctis appeared in front of their cashier, he knew that Noctis was keeping a secret. He liked Noctis because in some ways he saw the latter was similar to him. He knew the secret that Noctis kept was the reason why Lightning refused to accept the latter. However, he somehow just remembered the prophecy that he had once heard when he was walking to the town.

_Soon, the night will try to search for the light. He had once lost the moon and now he doesn't want to lose it anymore. Never will he give up until he has gotten what belongs to him._

He remembered that Noctis was called night in Latin and Light? Could that mean Lightning? He chuckled knowing that he believed in a prophecy that could be_not_true. But when somebody has lost hope, even the impossible thing they'd do.

"Lightning." He whispered her name slowly. It was the voice of someone that cared for other, earning to have her for him.

_So walk this night  
Walk seeing its light  
And awake in light  
Walk seeing its beauty  
And awake in beauty_

"Noctis Cerilla?" asked Prompto to Noctis, who was sitting at the edge of his bed. They were in Noctis bedroom talking about today's incident. The truth was that only Prompto who kept talking while Noctis just nodded once or made a 'Hn' once. But when it came to that question, Noctis turned his head to face Prompto.

"Is there anything wrong with that?" asked Noctis with his usual cold tone, but Prompto could tell that his friend was definitely angry and annoyed.

Prompto shook his head, "Nah, I don't think so, but, I just wondering, you know."

"Well, first, I can't tell them about my truth name. If I do that, they will recognize me." He stated that clearly.

"Wow, you're right, Noct, but, that still doesn't make sense to me. If you are going to gain a trust from someone, you shall not make any secret from her let alone making any lies to her. Don't you agree?"

Noctis looked at Prompto for a moment. He knew that the latter was right. If Noctis wanted to gain Lightning's trust, he should better not make any lie especially about his identity. For the first time, he agreed with Prompto.

"You are right, Prompto." He spoke slowly after taking a deep breath.

Prompto smirked when hearing Noctis opinion. "So, now you agree with me, huh?"

Noctis stared the ceiling for long time, like he was ignoring Prompto. He didn't know it would be hard to socialize with people. He _never_ once in his life felt such a great disappointment of himself. If only he had Prompto's cheerfulness a bit, maybe all these things wouldn't be so hard to be done. But then, it could only be a wish that would not come true because Prompto was Prompto and Noctis was… Noctis.

For the rest of the night, Noctis kept thinking over and over about Prompto's statement, _"If you are going to gain a trust from someone, you shall not make any secret from her let alone making any lies to her."_

Noctis was brooding about today's incident over and over again. He was hoping that time could turn back and he could tell her his real name and the reason why he came. But then, it was just a hope. No matter how hard he wished, it would never come true. If he could turn back time, not only would he tell her his real name, perhaps he would prevent the war.

That night Noctis couldn't go to sleep. It was first because Prompto was on the bed and taking over the bed, so, Noctis had nowhere to lie down. Noctis could just sleep on a sofa next to the bed, but he didn't feel like he wanted to. So, instead of sleeping, he went to the balcony and staring at the star, feeling the wind breezing him. He was enjoying the view and the atmosphere, not wanting to remember or care about everything for a moment. He just wanted to be alone for the moment and would not want any company.

_Walk seeing its moon  
Seeing its moon light  
Seeing its bright shine  
It's also beauty of night  
So shines only in night_

_It was the same dark room again. The young lady was surrounded by 7 people with cloak. It was just the same scene like before. Difference was that the young lady had already known why they came after her._

"_So, have you decided yet?" asked one of them. The young lady recognized it was the same person who offered her before._

"_You haven't told me anything except that you wanted me to join you and in turn you will give me the crystal's power. So, how can you expect me to answer your offer?." The young lady glared to the person who asked her. It was shown in her eyes that they were filled with anger and confusion._

"_Lightning, Lightning, you will never change, won't you?" The person who giggled at her statement before was chuckling again with her statement._

_Lightning somehow felt that she knew that voice, those voices. She felt that they were someone whom she had met before and maybe the one who she called as best friend. However, it maybe just her feelings too. It was something that couldn't be proved with logic. It was just a feeling._

"_Shut up, Al!" The first one turned his head to Lightning, "So, shall we continue?"_

"_There's nothing to be discussed and nothing to be continued. My answer is no. Whatever you are trying to offer, I'm going to refuse it."_

"_Why so?" The first one asked again. This time with a higher tone._

_Lightning was wondering why only he and the one next to him, Al, who always did the conversation. She was wondering why the others remained quiet and why only both of them who could talk._

"_Who are you?" asked Lightning, ignoring the question that had been asked to her._

"_I think I've told you before. We call ourselves as Ratroit." The first one spoke again._

"_I know that, what I mean is 'who are you personally?' I mean, doesn't each of you have name or something?" Lightning asked. She didn't like this situation, being surrounded by someone that she barely knew. However, for some reasons, she felt that she recognized some of them, but then again, it might be just her feeling._

_Al chuckled, leaving the confused Lightning._

"_No, we have name, but it isn't something important for you, there's none of your business." The first one said again, ignoring Al's chuckling._

"_You still have 6 days to think." This time, the voice was softer and it came behind her. This time, it was another person who spoke._

_Lightning couldn't see their face clearly, but somehow she thought that the first speaker was shocked to know that the person behind Lightning suddenly talked._

"_We'll come again to your dream, Lightning. Make sure you've made the correct decision." continued the last speaker._

_Then like before, everyone was vanished in the dim of light, leaving Lightning alone in turmoil. She didn't scream out them like before instead she stayed calm and woke up from the dream._

_So walk this night  
To wake in shine  
If not the next day  
It will be other day  
For now walk this night  
**~*~*~*~*~*~*~**_

Somewhere that far from Fabula Kingdom, in a small chamber, there were 7 people covered with cloak making a circle. They were ratroit, who were talking to Lightning at her dream just now.

"We need to convince her before it's too late, _Vincent._" said the softer voice who talked to Lightning before, the last speaker.

The man named Vincent didn't say anything and didn't seem to respond to the question.

"_Eclair_, haven't you been told that only Al and Caritas who can talk in front of Lightning?" asked one of them, named Ardor, who had a low voice.

"I think so. I'll be careful then for the next time." Eclair said with a smirk plastered on his face.

"There'll be no next time if you do such mistake again." This time the voice came beside Ardor. It was a softer tone and a cheerful one. No doubts that it came from woman.

"Star? You are against me this time?"

"No, I never against any of you, I just try to be neutral."

"Star is right, there shall be no mistake done again for next time, because we know that the Prince has done his move." Caritas spoke once again, ignoring Hope's growl.

Vincent and the man next to him were still in a deep silent, ignoring the discussion in front of them. They were thinking of what they should do especially what they must do to prevent the _prophecy._

Vincent used telepathy to speak to the man beside him, so that they wouldn't be heard by others.

'_So, what do you think he will do next?' asked Vincent in their inner voice._

'_Why do you ask me, Vincent? Aren't you the leader?'_

'_Even though I'm the leader, there's no one telling that I'm the one who shall take every decision. Besides, I'm asking you because you are the one that close enough to him.'_

'_If only he knew that we are just using him, Vincent.' The man spoke again with a guilty voice._

'_The Prince shall know nothing about us,_**_Gladiolus_**_. It shall be revealed when the time has come until then it'd be a secret between us.'_

'_There's something that you shall know too, Vincent.' Gladiolus continued again._

'_I know what you are going to say Gladiolus. Until then, everything shall be hidden.'_

'_Even your feeling, Vincent?'_

It took long time for Vincent to answer. An image of a girl with short hair smiling to him flashed in his mind. Her voice was calling out his name cheerfully. It was all gone. Next thing he knew, he nodded to Gladiolus statement and repeated it again.

'**_Especially_**_ my feeling.'_

Star realized that both men were talking about something. They were using the telepathy so that everyone couldn't hear it. It must be something secret. Star stared at them she realized that Vincent noticed her. She smiled to him, but they weren't staring because the cloak hiding their eyes.

'_We must be careful with Star, Vincent.' Gladiolus said again._

'_Why so?' asked Vincent, avoiding Star's stare._

'_She is indeed smart and she is hiding a secret from us too, Vincent.'_

_Vincent chuckled, but it wasn't obvious enough for the cloak had covered his face._

'_Everyone is hiding secret from each other, Gladiolus. She's not the only one.'_

'_I know that, but still, there's something about her.'_

'_Then what you shall do is just be careful around her or you can just ignore her.'_

'_Seriously, Vincent, when did you two first met?'_

Vincent didn't answer the question. Gladiolus knew that he was asking the wrong question, so, he quickly changed the subject. But before Gladiolus could speak out, Vincent had already done it.

'_Al is the one with more secrets, Gladiolus.'_

'_Yeah, you are right, Vincent.'_

Then for the rest of the night, both of them remained silent in front of everybody, but inside, they were talking with each other about the next move.

_So dark is the night  
Devoid of humorous voice,  
The night, is so dark  
At the depth of dead silence;_

_The dark night arrives  
As glowing stars  
Surrounding the glittering moon  
Radiate above in the sky;_

_The dark night stares  
At overthrow of bats  
Over blue spread coloured sky  
Amongst the ashen white, serenity's colours._

_So dark is the night  
Devoid of humorous species' voice,  
So lonely is the night  
Devoid of love's warm arms._

* * *

**_To be continued_**

* * *

eL: Yippie, finally I updated the story! eL-ch4n is really happy. Now, eL-ch4n would like to reply your review one by one. eL-ch4n is really happy because not only can eL-ch4n updated this story, but also today is eL-chan's country independence day. Happy independence day for all of you from eL-ch4n's country (^_^)

Cags: Finally, you updated this story. Everyone is thinking that you avoid this story and won't continue it anymore.

eL: No way! I love this story, but the think is, I don't have idea for the chapter. I need some inspiration. *Just realized why Cagalli was there* Why are you here anyway? Shouldn't it be Noctis or Lightning who came?

Cags: They are 'busy'

eL: Why do I have the feeling that I don't want to know about that? Okay, now let's go to the review corner, hehehe**.**

**Dawn Fire****Angel**: About their names, you are definitely right! I'm making them up. This chapter will tell why Noctis use different surname. For Snow, he just didn't want Lightning and the others knew about the real him yet. About Vanille, it just slipped out in my mind that perhaps she didn't want to be known as the princess.

About my grammar, yeah, you're obviously correct. It is sucks, but I'm trying my best to improve it ^^ Thanks for reading and review and for liking this story, hehe *smirking*

**-Yuki Minamoto:**Bwahahaha…you can tell that too, I'm not actually doing that on purpose, you know. I'm just making up name for Lightning and suddenly that name stroke out my mind and likewise for Snow.

Thanks for your great support and review, Yuki ^^ *smiling*

**-BrownSugarCandy**: Thanks, I hope this chapter can at least at your liking *grinning*

**-LeRouge the Rouge:** You have an uniqe name, you know that? But I like it ^^. Oh yeah, I'm sorry that I can't update faster. There are some reasons why I can't do that.

**-Fefisgbf13:**Is that right? Because I really want to make it as a mystery. I think I've heard that too, but I just don't remember where. Anyway, thanks for reviewing n,n

**-MidnightReader1 :**Thank you for your support xP, luckily I can do great for my chemistry. I was really nervous when I got the result, but it turned out to be good. Oh yeah, thanks for waiting. Hope this chapter could be at your liking.

**Kayano takama**: Thanks for waiting this chapter. Hope you can have the patience for the next chapter which will be updated in unknown period xD

**.f.R.1.3.D.a**: When I see your name, I thought that you were my friend, because you have the same name with her, but then it was a misunderstanding, hehehe.

eL: Guys, I couldn't tell how much I feel grateful to have such a great reviewer like you. *crying*

Cagalli came to comfort eL. Out of nowhere, Prompto showed up.

Prompto: Well, since eL was 'busy' out there. I think it's my turn to say thank you for reading this story. Please review for eL so that she could improve her writing. Oh yeah, anyway, I have a question for you guys. Does anybody know if Hope was a girl or a boy? Because at the website it's written Hope was a boy, but when I saw the picture, Hope was looked more to a girl face. Moreover, there's some websites telling Hope was a girl.

Really, I'm confused with that, but I hope you can at least reduce my confusion.

Until next chapter then ^^. Anyway, don't forget to review. Thanks. GBU all.

**Luph u all**

**eL-ch4n.**

**PS :**For the poem, I took it, but I actually forgot where I got that T_T


	4. First Day

**Title: Hikari no Nocturne**

**Rating: T**

**Summary : **

She was once the 'legend' knight, yet now she is just an ordinary blacksmith. He was the prince, yet disguised himself as her assistant. But one day, the secret will be revealed and the journey of the crystals will begin.

~*~*~*~*~*~

Chapter 4

"**First Day**"

~*~*~*~*~*~

Lightning must admit that his work, Noctis' work was _almost _perfect. It would be very perfect if only he didn't act so cold to the customer, not that he was really cold, but he didn't talk too much. However, Lightning must realize that she was not any better, so, she wouldn't complain much about that. But, Lightning did notice that the customers liked him. They were somehow attracted to him. Maybe he had the charm, yeah, maybe because of it and Lightning did really aware of that. She told herself many times for not _falling_ for that charm, something that soon she would _regret_.

Lightning never believed of stoic person, but seeing Noctis made her believed that there was people like that even herself was not that _too _stoic. She was afraid of Noctis' ability. She didn't need to teach him much because he had already known some of the basic though Snow was also good. He was a fast learner. She taught him only once and he had already understood, however, unlike Noctis, Snow didn't know about the basic, so, he must learn more.

Noctis, on the other hand, felt that his job was quite interesting yet it was a bit exhausting. But, if there's something that he hated so much, it was that he had to have an interaction with the customers. Hell, he didn't like talking to people that he didn't know and how could he pretend that he like it? He didn't smile, he was going to be damned if the customers would not come for next time. But, he found out that they _liked_ him. Well, it was a good thing but he was just wondering what they looked from him. Little did he know that he was very good looking that the customers came just to awe him. He was very attractive with his cold expression, mesmerizing blue eyes, bluish grey short hair and most of all his well-built body. Even though he was not quite good in telling his feelings but everyone surrounding him could know his kindness, his care without him showing that with words.

It was a break time and there's a close sign on the door to show that they would want to take a rest. Then usually Vanille would come brought some food for them to eat. However, that day, Vanille wasn't alone, she was with Clyde. Clyde was behind her and helping her to take the food. They were chuckling about something funny. Lightning looked to them with a strange expression showed on her face. _'Something's not right.'_ thought Lightning in her mind. Noctis looked surprised for their arrival but there was definitely not shown on his face. Snow was sitting on the sofa and stared at them with a smile.

"Here's some food for you guys, as usual." She raised the plastic bag filled with the food for them with a smile.

Clyde went to Noctis with a grin. Noctis moved a little behind to avoid Clyde. The latter felt sad, but he knew that his friend was always like that so he ignored it. Noctis didn't have to say a word but Clyde had already known that his friend was asking him why he'd come to that place with Vanille at the first place.

"I met her." A simple statement from Clyde yet it had many ambiguity.

Lightning eavesdropped a little from their conversation. From that she got that the Clyde guy met Vanille, but was it by purpose or was it just a simple coincidence? If it was coincidence, was it good or otherwise? But she preferred the first option because there'd be no such a coincidence like this. The Kingdom was big, the people were so many and how could they meet so easily like that?

"Something's wrong, Light?" asked Vanille in concern.

Lightning shook her head and gave a comfort smile. "There's nothing wrong." _'yet'_ she continued in her mind. "Vanille."

Vanille nodded and smiled, a big smile. Lightning pat Vanille's head to make sure everything's alright. She always did that to convince Vanille and it always did a good job.

"Ah, Vanille, where's mine?" asked Snow to break the awkward silence between the ladies. Vanille quickly grabbed the largest one among the food box and gave to Snow nervously. Vanille knew their favorite because Vanille had asked them and watched them while they chose their menu. She knew that Snow always ate the large portion while Lightning was the opposite.

The truth why Vanille and Clyde went to the shop together was that Vanille searched for him. She wanted to buy the blacksmiths some food like usual, however, she didn't know Noctis' favorite or even his portion, so, she asked her servant to search for Clyde. It was easy for her to do that as she was the princess of her country. Of course, while she did that the maid kept whispering and guessing the reason why their princess did that. Vanille ignored the issue and acted like usual. She knew that as a princess, things like that would never be apart from her.

"Want to tell me something?" asked Lightning. She knew that there's definitely something wrong when Vanille was gazing. Her mind would be flying around while her eyes fixed on the wall.

"Later, when you've got home." She smiled. Lightning just let out a sigh. She took her food and took a seat behind the cashier while Vanille sat opposite the first. Snow sat on the sofa, where Noctis sat before. Noctis, who had taken the food from Clyde, leaned on the wall while Clyde was standing beside him. The lunch was in a deep silence because everyone seemed busy with their food and Vanille suddenly didn't have anything to talk about. Clyde was wondering why Vanille didn't eat with them and of course Clyde was eating with the others while Vanille was gazing on something or thinking about someone, he didn't know which one. He just knew that her mind was on somewhere else, not in there, in that place.

So, when Lightning had finished her lunch, she threw the box and washed her hand. She walked to her work place. Vanille was behind her. They left the guys behind in awkward silence.

"So, I see that you are quite close with Vanille, err…Clyde?" Snow asked, trying to break the silence, which just brought another strange feeling among them.

However, Clyde just smiled to the statement. "Not really, we're just talking about something." _'Someone actually, but of course it should be told.'_ Clyde continued.

"Oh, I see." Snow smiled sheepishly and stared at his food.

Clyde noticed that and asked, "Something's wrong, Snow?" Snow didn't answer for about a minute and when he did, he didn't answer it, he put another question.

"Did you enjoy your first day, Cerilla?" Snow always did that. He would never call someone's first name until he was comfortable enough with the person. He just didn't like to call their first name without knowing their truth personality.

"Please, Noctis is far better." Clyde looked at Noctis with a hesitance on his eyes. He never knew Noctis could be that soft. Was it because that he wanted to find the _blacksmith_ or was it because he felt guilty for not telling them the truth?

"Well, that's my bad." He laughed darkly.

-x-

Meanwhile, Lightning and Vanille who were inside Lightning's work place was talking about something, someone for exact.

"What is it Vanille?" asked Lightning to open the conversation between them.

"The truth is I searched for him, Light." And then she told her reason behind all her action to Lightning. Lightning let out a sigh. She hated to be in the condition. She felt guilt for thinking something bad on someone but it was human's nature right? For not believing on someone whom they hadn't known yet. Suddenly she remembered about the 'Ratroit', a stupid group of stupid people who came to her every night on her dream, offering her something yet never telling her about anything. Lightning wondered if she knew them before and very well, would she accept that offer easily? Nah, she erased that question from her mind.

"I did find something about them, Light."

With then, Lightning gained her conscious fully. She waited until Vanille continued, "They came here to search for something, someone for exact."

"What is it?" cut Lightning. She wanted Vanille to quickly go to the point of this conversation.

"I don't know. He didn't want to tell much about that. He only said that his kingdom, their kingdom is depended on this person whom they were looking for."

Lightning's mind quickly thought. She scanned all over again about the information that she had gotten from Vanille. She sorted out again and put all the information into her head. She did remember something. It seemed that ever since Noctis arrived to her Kingdom, her dream kept became more real. She felt that the 'Ratroit' was somehow in hurry and maybe just maybe they would not give her one week as they had told her. She didn't want to think about the offer anymore, however, there's something so familiar with some of them. She thought that she knew some of them. Maybe some of them were from her _past_ that she badly wanted to forget, to get over with.

Vanille was staring at Lightning. She felt that there's something wrong with her friend. She wanted to ask about that, but she was afraid, afraid that it might make Lightning to think about her _past_. Vanille knew about Lightning's past. Hell, she was there when _it_ all happened.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

_The light was vanished_

_The night had taken over the day_

_The moon was in the sky_

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

_The ruins were everywhere. They were in the middle of many dead bodies. It smelled so bad at that place. She wanted to quickly run off from that place, but she couldn't. She needed to find __**someone**__ and she would not run from that place until she found her. _

_She looked everywhere strictly. She examined everything afraid that she might miss something. Maybe she __**could**__ find someone who was still alive at that place. What a foolish yet a pure thought from her. Then she found __**her**__, the person she was looking for. _

_**She **__was sitting and there were many dead bodies surrounding her. There were many scratches on her body. There were blood covered her golden brown long hair and her clothes. _

"_Lightning!" The first girl shouted __**her**__ name to gain the latter's reaction. It was to no avail. Lightning didn't notice her, Vanille. Her head was on something else. Her eyes were empty, however, Vanille could see that the first was crying before. Lightning's were read because of crying of something. Vanille walked closer to Lightning, trying to comfort the latter. She found that Lightning was bleeding. Both her legs which were touching the ground were filled with blood. Vanille wondered whether it was Lightning's blood or not. Maybe it came from __**the others**__._

_When she was already besides Lightning, Vanille put her hands on Lightning shoulders. It did not gain the latter's consciousness at first, but when she called Lightning name again, it did work. _

"_Vanille?" asked Lightning as she didn't know that Vanille was there at the first place. Like she just noticed Vanille was just arrived, like the latter was never at there before so she was very surprised._

"_It's me, Light." And then she hugged the latter in a comfort hug, telling the latter that everything's going to be alright. Yeah, it would be alright. Everything's going to be alright __**but**__ not now, not then, not __**sooner**__, but when __**it**__ gone._

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

_The mist was everywhere_

_Everything was so dark_

_The day was so gloomy_

_Was it going to be rain?_

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

The men didn't talk so much. Maybe the conversation was just between Clyde and Snow because Noctis, as usual, always answered with a small 'Hn' or a 'Yes' and 'No', as simple as usual. He thought if everything could be so simple. Maybe if he was not _who_ he was right now, he wouldn't be at this place, he wouldn't be doing this stupid mission. Maybe he would just be sitting on his comfort chair, waiting for his fate to come. But, it was only a wish. Maybe if he wished very hard, everything's can be different? Nah, it wouldn't

Clyde and Snow were talking about stuff like the politics of both countries, their economy, their previous job, what they did before they came to the kingdom. Snow found out that he was kind of liking Clyde. Maybe because Clyde was cheerful to everybody and was just being himself, not putting a mask or anything liked _him_, but it was maybe just a great act from Clyde, _maybe._

Suddenly, there's someone opened the door softly, making all eyes fixed on whoever opened the door. It was a man with blond spiky hair. He had a beautiful face with gorgeous body. He was kind attractive despite of his old ages. He scanned the room with his beautiful blue (or was it green?) eyes carefully. When he noticed the three men inside that room, he looked at them carefully.

-x-

While, Vanille was reminiscing of the past, Lightning was trying to put all information that she had gotten to be something for her. It was then both of them heard a bell sound of the door (If someone opened that door, there'd be a small ringing sound came from it)

"Who is it? Didn't he see the 'Closed' sign?" Lightning murmured. Vanille just giggled and followed Lightning out of the room. Her mind still gazing on something, so, she didn't look in front and when Lightning suddenly stopped, she bumped into the latter. She looked from Lightning's back to see who it was. The she saw the damn gorgeous man in front of them.

She knew who he was and smiled happily, but it was before she heard Lightning murmured.

"_Dad." _

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

_to be continued…_

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

**Hello, guys! How are you? Thanks for reviewing last chapter and it was a great thing (maybe) that I finally update! Yay! **

**Sorry, if this chapter is **_**too**_** short. I'll try to make it longer next time and sorry, very sorry if this chapter is lack of Lightis T_T**

**I promise that I'll try to make more of them for the next chapter, hehe**

**Thank you guys for reading this chapter, don't forget to review ^^**

**Oh, can you guess the other couples except Lightning and Noctis, Tifa and Cloud?**

**Hehe**

**Luph u all…**

**eL-ch4n **


	5. Questions

**Title: Hikari no Nocturne**

**Rating: T**

**Summary :**

She was once the 'legend' knight, yet now she is just an ordinary blacksmith. He was the prince, yet disguised himself as her assistant. But one day, the secret will be revealed and the journey of the crystals will begin.

~*~*~*~*~*~  
Chapter 5

"**Questions**"  
~*~*~*~*~*~

He was walking into his house, opening the door carefully not to making any creaking sound. He stepped inside and looked around to search for his wife. He found her cooking in the kitchen. Her long black hair was loose at her back and she wandered in the kitchen gracefully, humming with her enrapturing voice. He smiled genuinely, watching her every move. Carefully he stepped inside the kitchen, not wanting to startle her.

She felt someone was entering the kitchen. She did not need to turn around to know who it was, so instead she just continued humming and cooking.

"It smells so nice." He whispered to her ear as he circled his hands around her waist.

"Cloud! I can't cook if we're like this!" She giggled softly as she also enjoyed that very moment. He put his head on her neck, leaning on it like he was kissing her neck.

"Let it be for a moment." He whispered softly and within sorrow. She knew he wouldn't sound like that unless it was really unbearable. She sighed. Her face also looked so sad as if the sorrow had transferred to her. She slowly held his hands and grabbed them tightly. She didn't need to turn around to find he was crying because she could felt that her shoulder was a bit wet and she knew very well why he was crying. _He just had been **there.**_

-x-

He turned his head to find three men standing and watching him in confusion. He smiled a little so that they could not notice that. They were –he must admit- handsome, attractive and he was sure that any girls would fall for them. Yeah, any girls. He knew one of the men, the name's Snow Valentine. He knew Snow had been working for her for almost 1 year already. He rarely came to the shop because he did not want to _disturb _her and maybe to _avoid _her. But here he was, wandering around in her shop, noticing how she was really serious about _moving on_. He watched the other two, examined them carefully. He had heard about them when he walked in the town and he needed to be sure that they were no threat to her. After all, it was something he _had to _do.

He felt that the two lads were very attractive especially the one with dark hair. Maybe it was because the mysterious aura the lad had in him. At the corner of his eyes, he could see _her_ walking out from her work place and followed by another young lady. He didn't need to hear what she was murmuring to know what she was referring to. Because he knew it was him who she called.

-x-

Sure Noctis liked silence but the silence he liked wasn't like this, the awkward one. None of them dared to open mouth. Even Clyde, who usually _hates_ silence, did not know what to say. He felt that his friend was somehow _fear_ of the blonde man in front of them and it was actually not just his friend but him also. He realized that the man was fixing his gaze at the former, looking as if Noctis were a nice prey. He wanted to shout at the blonde man but realizing it was not his style, he just stayed silence and tried to avoid the gaze.

Until a few later, he saw Lightning came out from her place followed by Vanille. He saw her murmuring something. He wasn't sure what it was and if he were, he wouldn't want to believe that. Did he just see her murmuring 'Dad'? Nah, he wasn't sure or maybe he didn't want to admit it. He changed his gaze from the blonde man to Lightning and to his surprise she smiled softly to the former but suddenly glared back to the blonde man. Noctis wasn't sure why his heart beat so fast and why the hell did he like Lightning's smile. Damn, he hated that! Not knowing about something especially when it was about his own feeling.

-x-

"I see you have great employees here." The blonde man started to break the silence.

Lightning let out a sigh. She walked to the cashier and sat on the chair. She didn't answer the question for a moment, just let it hung in the air. She pretended reading the guest book, checking about something. The silence became more and more intense than before. Clyde decided to take a seat and ignored the situation, pretending that there's nothing wrong while Noctis and Snow were still standing and waiting for Lightning's response to the question.

"How can I help you?" asked Lightning suddenly with a threatening voice. It was clearly stated in the voice that she didn't want the blonde man to be there at the first place.

The blonde man smiled sadly. He walked closer to Lightning, pulling out his sword and put that in front of the table. Lightning stared in awe. There, in front her, was _Buster Sword_, his very favorite sword that he never _allows _anyone and it means everyone to touch that. And why suddenly he appeared out of nowhere, giving her the sword. But she noticed that there's something wrong with the sword. It seemed crushed? He cleared his throat to gain her sense back –which was successful- because now she was staring back at him.

"Well, you can certainly see that he isn't in his very best shape." Lightning could still remember how he always told her to call the sword 'him' instead of 'it' like the sword was actually a living thing. Though, Lightning had to admit that she thought it was a living thing once. "So, can you fix him?" he asked again.

Silly question, Vanille thought. Of course Lightning can fix that, she _is_ the greatest blacksmith ever in this kingdom, she thought again. But to her surprise, Lightning didn't grin instead she talked back seriously.

"Do I have to answer that?" She said in her cold tone.

"What do you say?" he raised his eyebrows to emphasize how serious he was.

She let out a sigh, taking a deep breath before said, "Why don't you take back your sword and take it to other place?"

Everyone except Lightning and the blonde man looked at her in disbelieved like they were just hearing an unexpected news. Even Clyde, who was sitting before, stood up abruptly and stared at her. Snow tried to find a reason through Lightning's eyes about her action yet he couldn't find any. Maybe it was useless, he thought. They didn't want to believe what they heard just now. Did she just decline his offer? Yeah, she did.

"And may I know the reason why?" asked the blonde man, ignoring the others presence.

"Certainly you know why, **Cloud**." Now, she had called his name. it was a very long time since the last time she called his name.

-x-

_Cloud?_ Did he just hear it right? Did he just hear that she called him Cloud? Noctis knew who Cloud was, hell, who could not know him? He was one of the greatest general besides **Zack Fair **and **Sephiroth **whose power was undoubted. How the hell did she know him? And if he was truly Cloud then it meant the sword that he was grabbing was the famous _Buster Sword__**. **_Now, it made sense why Lightning refused to take care of it. Maybe, in some ways, she felt afraid that she could not repair the sword and instead just made it worse or maybe she knew very well that it was beyond her ability or maybe it was both or neither.

"Are you afraid?" He spoke his mind out loud that made everyone now was looking at him. He didn't feel the tense-or he just ignored it- between them when he said the sentence.

Cloud smirked upon hearing Noctis' question and the former was really curious what would be _**her**_ answer.

"Snow, I think break time is over. Could you please go back to work?" Snow nodded and walked to the back room leaving the others in awkward silence. "And Vanille and you too, Clyde. I guess there's no reason for you to stay here any longer right? Don't you have anything else to do? I'll see you guys after closing time." Vanille and Clyde nodded hesitantly. Vanille walked towards Clyde and then both of them went out from the shop with intense feeling.

After there were three of them only, she glanced back to Noctis and asked him, "If I answer yes, what will you do?"

"Why are you afraid?" asked him without his conscious. It was unlike him to speak such many words. But hell did he like it anyway.

Lightning stared at those blue orbs for moment before glancing back to the man who stood in front of her, who was so similar to her. "Why do you come here suddenly?"

"Shouldn't you answer his question first, Light? It is harsh to let other people question unanswered, don't you think so?" She glared at him which was to no avail because he kept staring at her like she was nothing but his prey.

"There's nothing called fear in my life. I have never had that in my dictionary. It is out of my mind. Now, happy?" She answered Noctis question and asked Cloud back with annoyed face.

"Alright, now let's get back to the point. Can you fix that?" he asked again.

"Why do you want me to fix it? So that you could kill more again?" she asked sarcastically. Noctis didn't seem shock to the statement. In fact he looked so calm for a person who had heard such a great sarcastic statement.

He didn't seem to bother the question or even cared about the question. He smiled softly to Lightning and said, "Ah…to protect you exactly."

-x-

"What is your plan exactly, _**Cloud**_?" asked a man in black coat covered with hood. The voice definitely came from a man because it was so low and so masculine.

Cloud, who had just walked out from Lightning's place with a soft smile attached on his face, was walking back to his house when suddenly he was asked by the man in hood. Cloud knew exactly who the man in hood was from the voice. He murmured the name slowly only to be heard by the latter. "Do you think I'll sit down like there's nothing going on?" He asked back to the man.

"Nah, I know it won't suit you Cloud, but was that really necessary?"

"What was necessary?" he turned around to face the man in hood. They were almost had the same height and that just made Cloud certain of the man's identity.

"What you're doing before. Was it really necessary? Giving your buster sword to be repaired in 3 days? That means you're weak for 3 days, without your sword, you are…_**nothing**_." He said the last word carefully, afraid it might make Cloud mad, but to the former surprise he found Cloud smiling softly.

"What should I call you now?" asked Cloud softly.

"_Verzeihen_ for I have been seeking for forgiveness, Cloud." The man answered with deep sorrow in it. Cloud reminisced the past for a moment and he knew exactly what the statement meant cause he, himself was asking for the _forgiveness_ itself.

"Well, it is too long, should I shorten it with Verz?" asked Cloud with a little cheerful voice. The man 'Verz' nodded as if he had agreed to the deal.

"Now, getting back to my question before, what were you doing back there, Cloud?"

* * *

"_Alright, but if you don't get that in three days, I shall not return it to you. I don't care if I don't get the payment." She stated that clearly and with a threatening voice in it. If Cloud were just anybody, he would probably be scared the hell of it, but he was __**somebody special**__._

_Cloud turned around after he nodded to Lightning. While he was walking to the door, he stopped because of Noctis. "You are her father, aren't you?" he asked to the older man with his usual cold tone and seemed there's nothing wrong in it. He didn't care if he didn't use a polite manner to the older man. Cloud smirked upon hearing the question. It'd been a long time since he heard that kind of question and he seemed took no anger in it._

_Noctis looked around to see Cloud nodded slowly as if the latter had just answered the question. It wasn't a shocking news. After all, it was like he had expected._

"_Who are you?" asked Cloud as he turned around to face Noctis._

_Noctis stared at the blonde man for a moment, trying to seek for another reason behind the question, but found that it was just merely of curiosity, he doubted himself if he should tell the truth or not._

"_**Noctis Cerilla.**__" Finally, he decided to choose his fake name instead of his truth. He just didn't want his identity to be revealed __**yet**__. He hadn't prepared for the sudden changes and everything. He just wanted to be__**ordinary**__, just for a moment._

_Cloud nodded as he just took the information he had gotten. "I see." He murmured then turned back to open the door and left the shop for her comfort._

_-x-_

_Lightning realized that her father suddenly stopped while he was just passing Noctis and turned around to face the dark hair guy. She was wondering what they could be discussing? Was it something about her? Or was it nothing? She couldn't hear and she couldn't understand with __**his**__ sudden action. After all these years that he had been __**avoiding**__ her, why did he have to choose this day to show up? And to add, he didn't even ask her condition as if he didn't care at all._

_She knew he cared. Hell, he worried about her too much after the __**incident**__ but she hated it when he didn't want to show that to her. Was it too hard for a daughter to ask for her father's care? Well, for Cloud, it was too hard. She knew he was stoic because she herself was the same, but she would show her care even though it would make her weak in some ways. She just didn't want be forgotten. That's all._

_She sighed. She knew it would be helpless. She took the Buster Sword in front of her, the sword that she had been yearning to touch before, now was lying helplessly on the cashier table. She took it carefully and brought it inside, to where her work place was._

* * *

"I guess, I just want to fulfill her very wish." He said softly only to add more confusion for Verz.

Verz just nodded as if he understood what _his _–used to be- best friend said. He turned around, trying to get back to where he came before he was stopped by Cloud's shout.

"Wait, will we meet again?" There's a deep sorrow within it.

Verz looked at Cloud in sadness. Even though Cloud couldn't see Verz face, the former knew that Verz was sad. "It depends on the fate, Cloud. We'll just hope for it."

Cloud nodded. "Yeah, until that, promise me that you'll be safe." He reminded the latter with a chuckle.

Verz nodded once again and turned around, walking slowly to where he had come before and vanished within the air.

"Please be safe, _**Vincent**_." Cloud murmured softly after the departure of 'Verz'

-x-

She was wondering whether to ask him or not, yet she knew it was her last attempt to know what exactly was going on that day. She looked at him, who was suddenly exhausted of something and sitting on his favorite sofa staring at the ceiling like it was the greatest thing ever, and slowly came towards him. She sat beside him and stared at him long enough to make him felt her presence.

"What is it?" He asked with his usual cold yet soft tone. He turned to look at her.

"Why, I think I should ask the question, Cloud. You seem out of your body. Your mind seems wandering in somewhere else. Tell me, what's bothering you?" she asked.

"Well, there's nothing for you to worry about. First of all, I'm just exhausted of today's work, that's it." He caressed her face slowly. Oh how she loved when he touched her like that, gently and softly. She looked through the green eyes and found nothing, yet when she looked him from head 'till toe, she realized something was missing and it hit her suddenly.

"You came to _her _place, didn't you?" asked her as she was staring at him deeply. He sighed, he knew he couldn't lie to her whenever she made that look, so, he nodded slowly.

"Why did you do that?" asked her in higher tone.

"I don't know, Tifa." He answered sadly and Tifa knew better not to ask him anymore before she felt guilty. She sighed softly and enjoyed the touch. Slowly, he pulled her closer to him and closing their distance until their lips met each other.

-x-

_**To be continued…**_

-x-

eL : Lol, sorry guys for not updating faster, had lots things at school xD

Noctis : Liar, you are just lacking of idea for the chapter, aren't you?

eL : *hit Noctis reluctantly* Nah, not really, but there's the reason too, hehe….guess you just got me, Noct

Clyde : Why can't I call you Noct and she can?

Noctis : Because she _is_ the author and she can do anything to me…

eL : Anything? *smirking*

Noctis : *shivering*

eL : Lol, I think I'm getting out of topic here. Okay, now let's get back to the topic….So, guys, what do you think of this chapter? To me, I think there's no much intense in this story, but anyway, it has to be made. Please review me so that I can know whether it's good or not xP

You know I love you all guys ^^

**eL-ch4n**


	6. Blossoms

**AN **: There'd be a Lightis moment a little for this chapter, so beware you guys, hehehe xD and maybe Lightning or Noctis would probably OOC, but that's why I made this story as an AU, right?

**Title : **Hikari no Nocturne  
**Rating : **T  
**Summary : **She was once the 'legend' knight, yet now she is just an ordinary blacksmith. He was the prince, yet disguised himself as her assistant. But one day, the secret will be revealed and the journey of the crystals will begin. Will romance spark between them?

~*~*~*~*~*~

Chapter 6

"**Blossom**"

~*~*~*~*~*~

It was night already yet she didn't have the willing to go to bed just yet. She needed to refresh herself after what had happened that day. She walked out from her shop to the garden, where she usually stayed whenever she had a thing or two. She liked the breezing wind touched her skin and she enjoyed the night view very well. The most important thing was the silence that she was searching. She looked around to spot her favorite bench and it was empty like it had been waiting for her. She walked towards it slowly and put herself on it. That and the wind always did the trick. Now, she felt more relax and thus she stared at the sky. The stars were twinkling like they were there to accompany and comfort her. She smiled with the thought.

Out of sudden, she saw a shooting star. She knew about the 'wishing upon a star' thing and just chuckled with whoever made the statement. Either it was a silly thought or it was a hopeless thought. If everything can be done easily by wishing upon a star, people will not have to work hard again, will they? Yet, she found herself wished upon it and still **hope** for a miracle that maybe, just maybe, she could at least **get** close with her wish. She knew her wish wouldn't come true no matter how hard she tried to gain it and no matter how persistent she was. The more she wishes, the more she knew it was useless and she was tired to hope in nothing and believe in nonsense.

After a moment staring at the sky, she shook her head. She slapped her cheeks softly to bring back her consciousness and herself. Why the hell did she sound so weak? She had to be strong. She needed to **move on**. Ah, speaking of moving on, the thought of that day's incident suddenly popped out in her mind. She was wondering why her father came to her place before? Was it really because of his –not so- broken sword or was it just because he wanted to visit and check her? Or was there something that she didn't know yet? Whatever it was, surely, she didn't want to know that yet. She was just afraid of finding the truth.

Suddenly, something occurred in her mind. _'Could it be?'_ she thought and then suddenly shook her head just to ignore the stupid thought in her mind. Yet, she found herself still hanging with the idea. _'Could it be that…'_

~*~*~*~

"_Dad, it's so beautiful!" Little Lightning was staring at her father's favorite sword, Buster Sword. She always found herself mesmerized by the beautiful sword that her father always brought. She always wanted to touch it and to know what it would be like to hold it and to use it. _

_Cloud chuckled upon hearing what his daughter had said. He had realized and known that Lightning was different from any other girls. If the other girls like to play with dolls or something, she will always find a way to avoid them and try to do something more challenging. She was __**masculine**__ and that was what he always told her. It was no harm with that. He smiled softly to her and kneeled down so that they could face each other. He patted her long brownish blonde hair and said softly, "Not yet, Light." _

"_Why not?" She pouted and looked sad then avoid Cloud's gaze. _

_His father just smiled and pulled her chin slowly so that they were facing each other again. He could see that she was pouting and maybe she was trying to ignore the man in front of her like he had done so many mistakes to her. "Light, you are still so young."_

"_That again." She mourned. "I know, but still." She looked away again. _

_This time, Cloud didn't pull her head to face him, instead he just said, "Well, if it's the time already, I'll let you to hold it, Light."_

"_When is it going to be?" She asked softly yet it was so obvious that there's anger in it. _

"_How about when you turn 10?" He said softly and suddenly she turned her head to face him. She smiled widely and clapped her hands. Surely she was very excited with what he had said before. _

"_Really?" She raised her eyebrows and he nodded with a big smile. She hugged his neck excitedly and tightly. "You're the best, dad." She shouted happily._

"_Yeah, I am." He answered with a giggle. _

_However, when she turned 10, their promised never came true. Her father was __**too busy**__ at her tenth birthday that he didn't come home and attend her birthday party. She was really sad and at that time she learned about devastation. Yet, she didn't hate her father because of that. She knew that her father had something to do, something that was about __**protecting**__ her and her mother, so, she didn't hate him. Sure, she ignored him for few days after he had gotten from his job, but after that, she acted like usual to him. Though she hadn't yet gained the courage to ask another promise from him. _

~*~*~*~

"So, I see the famous blacksmith Lightning Strife is tired." A deep masculine within mocking tone was taking her consciousness back. She pulled her head down to find the source of the **familiar **voice. Her eyes widened and she felt annoyed.

There, in front her, was the **last** person she wanted to see and yet there _**he**_ was, standing with a grin on his face. His blonde hair looked shining because of the moon reflection. She let out a sigh and tried to stand up, but he stopped her by pushing her back. That made her glared at him. She felt infuriated. She didn't need another trouble and more complication for that day. Her father sudden arrival had made her day complicated already. Yet she felt a bit shivered staring with most penetrating vulgar pair of blue eyes that she **had** found herself mesmerized by before. She tried to avoid his gaze, afraid that it might absorbed her strength.

"Not so fast, I think." He said with a smirk.

"What do you want?" She asked within anger. His smirk didn't leave his face and that irritated Lightning. "And scrap that smirk of yours!" She shouted again.

Everyone in that garden was now staring at them and finding that they were the most interesting thing in that garden. A glare from her good enough to make them to continue their activity before and ignored her. They realized that she was **Lightning** and they knew better than to make trouble with her.

"You didn't change a lot, Light." He said again.

"Why should I?" She asked sarcastically with a higher tone.

"Now, now, with the attitude." He shook his point finger in front his face and shook his head playfully with a grin plastered on his face. He grabbed both her shoulder tightly made her felt uncomfortable and helpless. She tried to struggle and she knew she could fight him, but she didn't want to search trouble with him. If she punched him, like she usually did, he would probably irritate her more and she didn't want that. So, what should she do then? Should she scream? Nah, it was helpless and besides, who wanted to help her after they realized who **he **truly **was**?

That left her one choice, she had to obey and let him finish what he had intending to do before. "What do you want?" Lightning found herself asked that question with a helpless feeling. Why she had to be that weak? She still struggled and found herself being freed by his hands. She stood up and glared at him.

He grinned, "My, my, Lightning, you sure are something." He said playfully. "Well, I just want to know what is the famous Lightning Strife doing at here, at night?" He emphasized the word night and gained another glare from Lightning. He always found her amusing and everything that she had done always gain his interest. He wondered why. She was very different from any other girls that he had known before. And despite all that, she was beautiful with her long brownish blonde hair, attractive red lips, mesmerizing green eyes –that she got from his father-, her masculine act she gained from her mother and everything about her just made her perfect. He bit his lips in amusement.

"One thing for sure, it is not to be annoyed by a merely man like you." Another masculine voice entered the conversation and it did take their attention. The voice was so deep and the owner said that statement sarcastically.

-x-

Her sad face, her angry face, why did that bothered him so much? He came to that Kingdom to look for the **blacksmith,** not to search for a fancy woman being. Sigh, he knew she was not a **fancy** woman. She was indeed an independent one, one would never hold herself into other, one who always mind her own business and never let anyone to interrupt. That day, when he had seen her father -the **legendary **Cloud Strife-, he found another interesting fact about her. That was her love-hate relationship with her father and thus it had nothing to do with his searching.

He needed to find his attention back to his mission and realized the only way to do that was to have a refresh air. He needed to take a break from his mission and he needed to convince himself with his task. He knew his friend, Clyde, wouldn't give much help for the former at the moment because somehow, the latter kept brooding about something and no matter how hard Noctis tried to talk to his talkative friend, the latter seemed not responding to the question. Okay, now it was really annoying. I meant, Noctis never seemed to be the one who try to talk. It had always to be Clyde and when he did, Clyde seemed not to be interested and responded.

That's why he took a walk that night to search for composure. He didn't realize that he had walked far away from his staying. But anyway, he had always managed to get back to his staying, so, there wasn't any problem with that. Later he found himself walking into a garden, where there was a fountain located in the middle of it. He heard a shouting across him. He turned right to look what cause the shouting and the attraction. Then, across him with the fountain in between, was his boss or the blacksmith –so he called her-.

He wasn't sure if it was truly her or not because he could barely see her but her long brownish blonde - which he could never describe the color- hair was convincing enough with his idea. He tried to take a good look with the man who was standing in front of her. He wore a sharp uniform of white and had a bleach blonde hair. Everything about the man in front of her was white and it would make him looked pure if only he didn't act like that.

He walked closer to them, trying to closing their distance carefully and unnoticeably. The last thing he wanted was she looked at him and made the man in front of her noticed Noctis arrival.

"My, my, Lightning, you sure are something." Noctis could hear the man said playfully and Noctis didn't like the way he called her.

"Well, I just want to know what is the famous Lightning Strife doing at here, at night?" The blonde man continued.

Realizing that their distance was close enough, he put his hand on the man's shoulder and said, "One thing for sure, it is not to be annoyed by a merely man like you." The blonde man turned around slowly to look and face Noctis. Now, the penetrating blue eyes met with another pair of threatening darker blue eyes.

"Noctis?" Slowly she murmured his name. Surely, she was very confused with his sudden arrival. She was glad that someone had saved her, but to find that someone turned to be Noctis, she didn't know whether to thank her fate or not.

"So, your name is Noctis? I see." The blonde man said softly while nodding his head many times as he was inserting the information into his head. "Then, you must be the new guy right?"

Noctis didn't answer. He stared at him blankly and found himself nodded slowly to the question.

"I see, you are quite charming as I've been told. In fact, you are more than charming, you are…what should I say? Gorgeous?" He chuckled with his own sentence. Noctis was confused. How could the blonde man knew about the former? But maybe the blonde man was mistaking him for someone else. Besides, there had to be many newcomers to the town right?

"Well, anyway, my name is **Rufus Shinra**." He gave his hand, but hanging in the air because Noctis didn't shake it nor look at it. He took back his hand. "No?" He asked with a slight smile. He nodded then and turned to see Lightning.

"Even though I find it is quite tempting to stay at here and to take you with me, Light, I have to go now or the **elders** will be very mad with me." He said with a fake smile.

Lightning murmured, "Like I care about it."

He nodded and turned to face Noctis again. "I guess, I should leave you with her then. You have to protect her for me, okay? She is rare, you know?" He whispered in Noctis ear.

Either Noctis was really stoic or he was too slow to input what he had heard before or he was too busy to care of someone's business. Even after Rufus' departure, Lightning found her savior was still staring at Rufus in confusion. He didn't even look behind to check if she was alright or not. She didn't have to be checked or to be cared like that, but still.

"Are you alright?" He asked softly while he was walking closer to her.

If it's not because of the darkness that night and the dimmed light in the garden, Noctis could probably notice how red she was then. Everyone in the garden was slowly decreased as it was getting darker and darker. Now, at the garden were Noctis and Lightning and probably with one or two couples, who were hanging out with their couple to even care with them.

Noctis stared at her, who was staring at her feet, intently and there was a glint of satisfaction that she was alright and softness within his dark blue eyes.

Lightning didn't know why she acted that way. Usually, she didn't find any trouble with other's attention towards her, but why the hell did she **blush** because of his sudden care?

"So, I see that you are alright." Lightning looked up to find he smiled genuinely to her and suddenly she found herself captured by that smile.

He hardly smiled, but finding that she was alright, couldn't stop him to have a smile on his face, a very genuine to add.

"Thank you." She finally found her composure to reply. He, out of sudden, patted her hair -liked her father had always done to her when she had done a great job- and she found herself blushed by his sudden action again. "I'm okay. You don't have to worry. If you don't come back then, I could probably give one or two punches to his face."

Noctis chuckled and Lightning found herself amused by that. "What?" She glared at him and suddenly returned back to her personality, strong and independent. Noctis found himself liked this Lightning, the strong than the weak one because he just couldn't help himself to **hug** her when he saw her weak.

"Nothing, really. So, do you want to go home now? It's getting darker."

"Yeah." Noctis turned around. He thought that she would follow her, but when she didn't, he turned around and saw her confused face.

"What?" asked him.

"Don't you want to ask who he is?" Lightning asked.

Now that she mentioned it. He badly wanted to know who that man was and why he seemed so **close** with Lightning. "Alright, if you want to answer that question, I'll hear that."

Lightning bit her lip. Maybe telling him wasn't a great thing and why did she stop him before? Why the hell did she want to clarify about the blonde man to him? The man she had just met for two days. She didn't know where to begin with and she could feel the tense between them increased as the silence continued to stay.

"If you don't want, I don't find any harm in it." He finally said.

"Wait! It just…err…how do I say this? Well…" She sighed then finally be herself. "He **was** my partner before in doing the blacksmith job, but turned out he shouldn't do the job."

"I see." He said. "Okay, here's the thing. It's getting darker now and it's not a good thing for a woman to walk by herself in the night like this, so I'll accompany you back to your shop and well maybe we can continue this tomorrow when you have been a lot better. How's that sound?" Okay, he had to admit that it was one of the rare things in the world that he had done. Did he just say more than one sentence? Yeah, he did. And yet he found it quite enjoying and comfortable. He thought he would find it awkward, but no, he found it was so comfortable and really **fun**, another new word to his life.

Lightning nodded happily and walked side by side with him. While they went to the shop, they barely talked to each other, yet they found that they like the moment and they wished maybe it could last a bit longer.

-x-

_Meanwhile…_

Vanille was lying on her bed and put both her hands on her red cheeks. She had been in that position ever since she had arrived in her room. She was blushing **because** of a certain blonde guy. She knew what that feeling called, but was it just her thought? She could hardly imagine herself having the same feeling like that and for different men at the same time! How could she?

~*~*~*~

_They were walking out from Lightning's shop after Lightning's sudden attitude. Vanille and Clyde found themselves walking alone again like before. The different was the aura between them. If before, there's happiness and excitement, this one was filled with confusion and a bit of sadness. He rubbed his hair. He hated the silence and yet he found himself stuck with that again and with the woman, who seemed to be in her own world. _

"_There's something wrong about her." Vanille murmured slowly. Clyde put his hand beside him and turned to glance at her. He tried hard to hear her whisper. "I don't know what it is, but there has to be a great reason behind this. I hope…I hope you don't mad with her, Clyde." _

_So, that was it? She looked sad all the time because she was afraid that her friend sudden attitude might hurt his feeling. He chuckled. That confused Vanille. She turned around to find he tried to hold his laughter. His hands were hugging his stomach and he laughed really loud. She felt annoyed with the sudden outburst. She punched his shoulder hard. He shouted. _

"_What was that for?" He asked playfully. _

"_That for laughing at me for no reason." She stated that within annoyed tone and turned around, trying to be hurt with his sudden act. He knew it was an act, yet he played along with her. _

"_Okay, I'm sorry. It's just that, it's funny." She looked at him, raising her eyebrows. Funny? She didn't believe it! She was afraid that he might be hurt because of Lightning's harsh comment just now and she tried to find a way to apologize for that and he said that funny. Now that's very annoying._

"_Damn you." She muttered slowly. _

"_Alright, I'm sorry, okay? It just, you don't have to worry about that. Okay? No harm taken, happy?" He smiled to her. She sighed, knowing that she could hardly mad at him because of his cheer. _

"_Alright, but never ever do that again, okay?" She punched him slightly on his shoulder. _

_They talked again like usual and the silence between them had vanished away. When Vanille realized that she was almost close to her __**palace**__, she mentioned to Clyde that she would go then by herself and made sure that she was okay. Clyde didn't agree at first, but Vanille said her __**parents**__ would pick her up, so, he nodded reluctantly and let her to go by herself. _

_She had taken a few steps, but stopped by his shout. "Wait!" _

_That confused Vanille. She turned around to see him ran to her and smiled softly then quickly gave a __**peck **__to her cheek. Slowly, Vanille put her hand to her right cheek, where he had pecked before, and blushed. _

"_Bye then." He said awkwardly. She nodded and waved in awkward. She turned around and sometimes turned her head back to see him still staring at her until she was nowhere to be seen. _

~*~*~*~

Little did she know that Clyde was thinking the same moment and he was still brooding about it. Vanille was too busy with her own mind that she didn't realize her door had been opened slowly and revealed a blonde man in white sharp uniform.

"Vanille?" His voice startled her and she stood up abruptly from her bed and faced the **same** blonde man who approached Lightning before.

"**Rufus!** You know you have to knock a lady's room before you come in." She retorted quickly, crossing her hands in front of her chest.

"I know, but I've been knocking it and no response did I get from you, so, since you don't lock it, I come in slowly. You know I don't like sneaking to someone's room like that." He defended himself. He had knocked many times, that was the truth, and she didn't open the door just yet, so, he decided to come inside slowly.

"Geez..okay, okay. Even though you are my **cousin**, you're still a man, you know? What do you want? It's so late now, shouldn't you go to sleep?" She asked. He looked around her room, trying to find if it was safe or not and when he had done it, he closed the door and walked closer to her.

She didn't walk back because she knew he would do no harm to her and besides, if he did, she just simply screamed and guards would dash to her room as fast as wind. "What is it?" She asked again after gain no response from him.

"Sit down first, shall we?" He asked and let Vanille to sit beside her at the edge of her bed. Vanille walked reluctantly and sat beside him.

"I want you to be honest." She nodded reluctantly. "Who is **Noctis**?"

-x-

_To be continued…_

-x-

eL :Yay, an update from me!! ^^ I like this chapter so far because it has Lightis moment in this chapter. Yay, finally I made a Lightis moment, hehe xD

Lightning : Finally, you update. I am so glad. I'm just worry that you might be ignoring this story or maybe you've forgotten about us.

eL : *turned to look at Lightning* Wow, it's you Light?! I will never ever forget you guys, you're awesome and you're the most perfect couple I've ever seen!

Lightning and Noctis : *blushing*

eL : See? That's what makes you guys lovely! *hugged them tightly*

Snow : Hey, why don't I have my part in here?

eL : Not yet, Snow. Everyone will have their part in this story, just not yet.

Snow : *mumbling* Yeah, yeah, whatever

Cloud : Oh, and eL, why did you suddenly use Rufus? Speaking of him, where is he?

Tifa : Oh, Rufus? I think I saw him being chased by Scarlet before. I think he went that way *pointing to somewhere particular*

eL : Okay, at first. I want to use Seifer, you know the guy from FF8? But then, suddenly I realize I found myself attracted to Rufus *blushing* Yay, I just said it, didn't I?

Everyone nodded and sweatdropped

eL : *clear throat* So, that's the reason why I used him oh and that I just found he was almost look like Vanille, hehe… and that just made reason for him to be her cousin, right?

Okay, guys, before I'm getting out of the topic even more. I think I should end it here. You know, your feedback is a very great thing for me and it's like a support for me to continue writing. So, guys, you know you want to push the green button below xD

Lol, tq guys

**Luph u all**

**eL-ch4n**


	7. The Journey Starts

**Warning**

Theme  
**You are My Love – Yui Makino**

**Hikari no Nocturne**

-~-~-~-~-~-~-  
Chapter 7  
**~The Journey Starts~  
**26.**0**4.1**0  
**-~-~-~-~-~-~-

It was the same sensation, the identical feeling that she kept having when she was having the dream. The most important thing was, it was exactly the similar room, only this time the light was much brighter. She knew they would come, so she waited and waited. However, no matter how long she stood there, waiting, there was no sign of them. Not even a single shadow was seen. She realized there had to be something wrong then. _'Something's not right.'_ she thought. It never would be _right_ if it's connected to the crystal.

Since there's no one –yet, she decided to take a better look at the room. It was useless to say because it was just a simple huge room with no decoration, no color, really, it was so plain. It was a dream right? So, why could she not awake now? It's like that even in her dream, she was being controlled. Time had flown yet there was no sign of them showing up. She sighed. She wanted a rest after that day and she just remembered how God really _loved_ her.

'_Geez, I can't even have a rest.'_ thought her. She scanned the room to find nothing, so, she decided to lean on one wall. Her hands rested on her chest, crossed. Her eyes were closed, but she could still the presence of others, though she did not sense any. No matter how hard her effort was, she could not find any way to wake up from her dream. It was so unbelievable! How long would she endure this? Was her _punishment _not _enough_? God helped her, she needed rest!

Then again, whom shall she pray to? Who will answer her prayer?

'_Sigh, if this goes on and I haven't gone crazy, that's a miracle.'_

-x-

He was handsome, with his enrapturing blue eyes and his status, no woman would dare to refuse him. No woman, except Vanille –his cousin, and _her. _His first meeting with her was quite pleasant, if he may add. It was probably the first time he had ever found something that took his interest. She was very different. There was something that she was hiding and he wanted to know what it was. After all, he liked the challenge and that girl was so full of it. Did he like her? No, that was out of question. He just liked the _challenge_ the girl was giving him.

_Noctis_

That name suddenly crossed his mind. Sure he liked challenge, but that lad –Noctis, was no challenge. The latter was a threat for _Rufus._ If Rufus didn't act carefully, all his _plans,_ his efforts and top of it, his _toy_would loss and he couldn't even imagine it. No, he could not let that new player disturbed all his plans. Soon enough, everything would go as he had calculated.

His cousin –Vanille, hadn't yet explained everything that he needed to know. It seemed that she was hiding something or maybe this time, she was not on his side (not like she always does, usually she was neutral, but not this time). As long as he still hold his _ace card_, he would win this –whatever it was. No one could stop him from doing so.

Moon was shining brightly in the sky as he was walking to his chamber. The aisle was lighted only by the candles hanging on the wall. A smile plastered on his face. His hands were both beside him as his feet led him to his chamber. Even if his eyes were closed, he could still go to his room with no difficulties.

Once he was inside his room, he lighted the candles. Inside the room, there were 3 other doors. One made by black teak led to a bathroom. The brown mahogany led to another room and the last, the one made by glass then covered with curtain led to the balcony. He walked slowly to the brown mahogany door. He opened it slowly, making a creaking sound. Only ajar was enough for him to peek inside.

The room was just a small one with only one small bed and two chairs beside the bed. The wall was painted in light orange. On the bed laid a girl. Her long pink hair was loose around her. She was covered by the white blanket, only her hands that were put on it so that we could see the bandage on her left arm with three bracelets joined into one on his left wrist.

He never smiled, but staring at that _sleeping beauty_, he could not help with the smile slowly appeared on his face. This, he thought, is going to be my triumph.

-x-

It was a lie if he said he did not care a single thing about that girl. No, it was definitely a bad lie. He knew he cared, hell, he was in the very high state of curiosity that was really annoying him. If she could not tell what it was, he was very sure that he would use all his influence to solve it. No, no matter how good it sounded, he could not take the risk. It was not yet his time to that.

His friend was no better. Like he had mentioned before, his friend was in his own world that he was pretty confidence if there's an earthquake or fire, his friend would never notice that. Great, he thought, the one I think could help is even in _trouble_. Oh, how God _loved_ him!

He took a deep breath before approaching him. Approaching here meant that he was standing right in front of his friend, glaring at the latter and if that was not yet working, a clap would make it perfect.

That clap was a success. "Noctis?" Now, he had all the attention he wanted.

He didn't smile or even answer his question. He just kept staring at his _loveable_ friend –Clyde. Clyde felt unease with the condition. Let's imagine. Clyde was sitting just now on the edge of the bed, wondering about the kiss that Vanille had given her that day, before suddenly his friend came out of nowhere, destroyed all his thoughts. Now, when his friend had succeeded taken his attention, he suddenly ignored the latter? Oh, how he wanted to remember how he could be friend with Noctis.

Maybe he knew why his friend acted like that. It was part of his mistake too. _'Damn, he knew I hate silence so much.'_

"Yes Noctis? Is there anything that I can help you with?" He tried once again to composure all his courage to face his friend. No reply came from the latter. He sighed, if this went on, he could die because of boredom. "Alright, I give up." Finally, he raised both his hands, looked defeated.

The other guy just turned around, staring at the view through the window beside him. Another silence came between them. The wind breeze slowly felt inside the room. No one seemed to break the silence. It looked like they enjoyed it. "Clyde." Then he mentioned the blonde name slowly. There's a sorrow in the voice even though he tried to hide it and Clyde noticed that. The latter turned to the other side, ignoring the fact that his name was being called.

"I want you to do something for me." Another long sentence came out from his mouth. And with that, he gained all the attention he needed from the blonde lad.

-x-

Vanille was never good at hiding her feeling. How she loved to learn that from Lightning. It was so obvious that the maids were whispering about her. They were wondering about her red face and her nervous attitude. Every time she turned to the whisper, the maid stopped it and gave a smile to reply her smile. It kept continuing even after Rufus suddenly came to her room just now. She was alone in her room now and there, she did not have to hide anymore.

She knew there was indeed something wrong when suddenly her cousin –Rufus, came to her room, asking about Noctis. However, she knew better than to provide him the right information. No, she just gave him slight things about Noctis, something that she knew from Clyde. Only that Noctis and Clyde came to this country just to search for a job (for Noctis) to be Ligthning's assistant. Other than that, she didn't know. Not that she knew more than it either.

"Alright, I should tell Lightning about this, yes, indeed I should." She murmured slowly like it was only for her to hear.

It was her who first introduced Rufus to Lightning. It was merely just for an innocent act, who knows it would backfire? When Lightning said she needed help for the cashier, he suddenly crossed her mind. So, she introduced him to her and it did not need Einstein's brain to guess that they were attracted to each other. It was until later she found who he really was, the son of the infamous uncle and it changed the whole thing.

Though Lightning did not blame her for that, Vanille kept blaming herself. Why did she let them meet each other? Moreover, where the hell did she get the idea of making them as an item before? Then Vanille always cursed that thought over her mind. _'Stupid you, stupid Vanille!' A_nd every time she said that, she will slap her forehead slightly to emphasize the regret.

She turned around when she felt someone knocked her door. _'It was so late, I wonder who it is?'_ she thought. And how surprised she was to find the _devil_ stood behind the door and top of it, looked irritated. "_**Lightning?"**_

-x-

He was asleep when suddenly someone knocked his door harshly. He knew that it was Lightning because they lived in the same roof, but they lived in the different room, of course. He yawned and stretched both his hands. Looking half asleep, he walked to the door and unlocked the key. He was no surprise to find Lightning stood in front of him, but what surprised him was why she was there at that hour?

"Light?" He called her name softly, but the girl seemed so preoccupied with her own mind. She looked so sad. Her face was so messed up. "Are you alright?" Another effort to call her, but to no avail. She didn't response to him. Then suddenly she fell on the floor, sitting, both her hands crossed in front of her chest. She was trembling. Snow followed her. He also sat in front of her, trying to see her face. Never once on his life did he see Lightning so scared like that. It was like she had seen a nightmare. No, it had nothing to do with nightmare. Snow knew better that this girl was strong enough to face the nightmare. Then, it had to do with something else, but Snow did not know what it was.

"…me." Suddenly she murmured slowly.

"I'm sorry?" Snow looked so nervous. He was never good in comforting people especially people like Lightning. How was he supposed to calm a stoic girl?

She looked up to stare at him. Her blue eyes filled with sadness. On his time he had spent with Lightning, he never once saw her so weak like this. She was so vulnerable. Like a glass, if he did not act carefully, she would break. "What's wrong Light?"

"They have come to me." Finally she ended up her sentences. After that, she stood up like there's nothing happened. Snow, confused with her action, also followed her lead to stand up. "Who?" asked him.

She stared at his eyes for God knows how long. He tried to search for the answer but hell, she was so great to hide it behind those walls. "They who want me." With that she turned around, arms crossed in front of her chest. One word from Snow made her stop. "Why?" She froze at her place, not making any impression of moving. Then she turned around to face him only with a sad face.

"I don't know either, Snow. I just wanted to let you know that I will be gone for as long as it needs. I'm sorry, but I have to go." Before she turned around, Snow held her wrist, making her to stop.

"Wait, I'm going with you." He stated that. Lightning sighed. "You know you can't Snow. Besides, why else will I invite you? I need to run to find the reason."

He grinned hearing her question, "You know two is better than one? In fact, more people sound good. Why don't you invite the others too?" Now she raised her eyebrows. It was so obvious that she did not know what he was talking about.

"Yeah, you know, the others here include me, Vanille and oh of course those two lads."

Hearing he mentioned the lads made her face suddenly red, but it was so fast that he did not have a chance to notice it. "Yeah? Why so? We just barely know them anyway, Snow." She said it emotionlessly.

He smirked, "But, I know they are great in protecting themselves. In fact, I think they are good fighters."

-x-

"Geez, I don't even know why I agree at the first place." She cursed under her breath. She was then walking with Snow to sneak to Vanille's place. They had prepared all the stuff they needed to do the journey. Though she complained a lot, but deep inside Snow realized that she was far better than before and she seemed to like it –the idea.

The plan was to _kidnap_ Vanille and invited her to join the group. The purpose of this group was to travel with their own reasons. Lightning, to run from whoever they were. Snow, to accompany Lightning because he believed she was the secret. And soon, others' would be revealed as well. For now, the purpose was to find another company to the group.

It was easy for them to sneak inside the palace. What they had to do just jumped to the nearest window on the same floor where Vanille room was located. They knew that around that hour, the maid would not pass that place. So, without any obstacle they found themselves standing in front of her door. It was Lightning who knocked the door, while Snow was looking around to give a sign if there's anyone around.

It took 5 knocks until Vanille decided to open it. She looked surprised which Lightning had predicted. "Lightning?" she asked with curiosity.

"With Snow _Valentine_ too." Snow sneaked in between them with a grin plastered on his face. A giggle slipped from her mouth. She hurriedly let them inside the room, so, nobody would notice them. Little did they knew, from the tree outside the palace, where it could clearly see the room, two figures were watching them. One was smiling and the other just looked calm as always.

-x-

"So, care to explain me what're you doing here? Most of all, at this time of hour?" She raised both her eyebrows to emphasize her question.

"Don't ask me, ask him." Lightning simply answered that while pointing to Snow. Snow, as always, grinned to the statement. He rubbed his head, trying to find a good answer. He knew he could not tell the truth if Lightning did not allow him to, so, he simply shrugged both his shoulder. Knowing that would go nowhere, Vanille just sighed.

A few minutes passed until Lightning broke the silence, "_They _found me." With only that one sentence, Vanille could get the whole point of it. She abruptly prepared all the stuff she needed. She only took, some clothes (including cloaks) along with other things such as food (surprising she had it in her wardrobe), money, bracelets, necklaces.

"Hold on!" That made her stopped preparing the stuffs.

"Yes, Light?" She asked innocently.

Lightning pointed to the things the younger was holding –necklaces. "What is the point of bringing that?"

She just grinned, "Well, if the money runs out, we can sell this right? I know someplace to sell this in high prize."

The few minutes were passed with Lightning and Snow sat dumbfounded while watching Vanille preparing everything she needed. Snow wondered how did such high spirit be inside that small body and how could she survive with all those terrible things that had happened, not to mentioned she was the princess with so many obligations to do. Sometimes, Snow envied that young lady. Maybe if he had the spirit that girl possessed, he could _prevent_ the war.

After Vanille had done with her things, they sneaked out the room like before carefully. Getting in was easy, the hard one was to get out. But, that was not a challenge for both Snow and Lightning. It was as easy as they got inside the palace. With Vanille along, it did not make any different for Vanille was not a bad _jumper _too.

Then, their next destination was Noctis and Clyde place.

-x-

Everything had been explained to the both lads who were listening carefully. One did not give any expression while the other seemed to show interest to the story. While Clyde carefully listened to Vanille's explanation, Noctis stood up from his place to the balcony. Lightning followed him from behind, leaving the others inside the room. Of course both Vanille and Snow realized the sudden act from Noctis, but they knew Lightning could handle it better, so, they just ignored it.

Noctis stared at the sky, realizing the girl appearance beside him. He just kept staring at the sky. Lightning did not know what to say, so, she also followed him to stare at the sky. The sky was so clear that day, no cloud, they could see the stars blinking beautifully with the moonlight. "Why?" A sore sound from him made Lightning stared more deeply to the sky. To tell the truth, she did not know either why she agreed to Snow to invite them to their journey. For God sake, she only knew him for only two days! And now she acted like she knew him longer than that.

Seeing the silence from the woman, Noctis took that she was not intending to answer. He did not do anything either. Let the silence spoke between them. "They said, the moon always lonely." Suddenly she started with a confusing statement. Noctis didn't say anything to let her continue. "So, God created the stars to accompany him."

Noctis gave a sheepish smile to the statement given. He wondered what the feeling he had inside. It was nothing he had experienced it before. He nodded slowly. "I see."

"Only then will we know the reason why God create so many people with many differences between them."

"Light?" Vanille called from inside, making the couple turned around. Lightning nodded before getting inside the room, followed by Noctis. It seemed that they all had prepared to go, to begin a journey.

-x-

Far from their place, _Verzeihen_ was looking them with a very sad face. A sorrow was read on his face. Covered by cloak, he stood on the tree branch accompanied with _Malchus_, who was sitting next to the former's feet.

"There, everything has worked as we planned it."

-x-

_The journey began  
when the knight realized  
that only her who could find the crystal  
that only the Crystal  
could answer all the questions  
Everything soon will be revealed  
The journey soon will go to the end  
_

_The prince and the knight  
along with their friends  
All with different reasons, but with one purpose  
__**the Crystal's power  
**__And to search for the future_

_Sometimes it took two to answer one question  
This took five to end a war_

-x-

_To be continued_

-x-

eL : There, I had finished it! Yatta! Sorry, guys it took long time for me to update this.

Noctis : yeah, the usual excuses…

eL : *glare to Noctis* Lately, I've been interested in Kuroshitsuji and D., so, yes, that took me long enough to get this chapter done. Sorry guys

Anyway, thanks for all the reviews and the supports you've given me. From now on, I promised to update this ASAP. Oh, btw, to **worldreminiscence**, you are right, I was making a mistake at chapter 5, it was truly supposed to be him, not it. Sorry guys T^T, thanks for correcting me.

Oh, and more intense in this chapter. Who were after Lightning? What did Noctis ask Clyde to do? Why Snow are so persistence to go on with Lightning? How could Vanille know about the group who was after Lightning? Oh, and who was the one in Rufus room? And why the hell did I have asked many questions?

Stay tuned for the next chapter ^^

Luph u all

eL-ch4n


	8. Cypress : Alica

HI guys, it's been like..what? 6 months already? Or is it more? Well, enough with the blabbering, I hope you guys still read this fic though and I still hope that you guys will be patient enough for me :'( and thanks for your reviews. You guys are great!

And since Square Enix had officially announced the name for three guys whom Noctis hang out with, so, I decided to use the name. Unfortunately, I haven't yet changed the name for the previous chapter. So, in case some of you are confused, these are the lists :

**Clyde** is **Prompto**

**Malchus** is **Gladiolus**

Theme

**Solo – Iyaz**

Enjoy reading guys

* * *

**Hikari no Nocturne**

-~-~-~-~-~-~-  
Chapter 8  
**Cypress  
**~Alica~**  
**-~-~-~-~-~-~-

Once again it was dark and she was alone. It was because her turn now to guard. She was watching the dancing flame in front of her. She knelt down and hugged both her legs with her right hands. Her left hand was playing with the fire and she was trying to make the perfect warmth for everyone including her. It had just been a day since they left the Fabula Kingdom. To tell the truth, she didn't know where to go or even if this was the right thing to do. It was Snow who suggested them to go to the Tenebrae Kingdom. Perhaps at there, she could find more information about the organization which was after her. Then, here they were, sleeping in the midst of the Forest of Darkness, _**Cypress**_. She had told them that she was not in a hurry, but somehow, Noctis –she felt warmth when saying that name– said that it's better for them to arrive at Tenebrae Kingdome soon because they didn't know what might waiting for them ahead. The faster, the better, he said.

Actually she didn't like Snow's idea to invite the two lads. Hell, she didn't even suggest for Snow to join her. She just wanted to take an adventure to somewhere else, somewhere safe. But since Snow had come to decision to follow her, she might be like the idea of those two lads to join because she wasn't sure of herself if she could protect both Vanille and Snow (She didn't know if Snow needed her protection though). With them following her probably her burden might be lessen (or maybe not).

They didn't build a tent or something, she said it might be wasting of time, so, instead they were sleeping with the nature. Fortunately for them, Vanille preparation was more than enough. She brought five sleeping bags –that Lightning didn't know the princess had– with her when she packed up. Lightning thought it seemed that the princess had already known the plan to invite those lads.

"Can't sleep?" asked her when she noticed a small movement came from him. She was leaning on the tree and beside her was Vanille with her innocent face, sleeping like there's nothing wrong with this journey. The guys were on the other side. She glanced at him, who was slowly tried to stand up, covered himself with the blanket.

She saw him shook his head as his answer. _'Tsck. Typical of him.'_ "So, what makes you awake? It's not your turn yet, you know." asked her once again. He didn't answer her question directly instead, he was just staring at the sky. They were in the middle of the wood where the roof is the sky itself. The sky was so clear that night that they could see the twinkling stars. It was such a wonderful view that only some people could manage to see it.

Noticing that he might not answer her anytime soon, she continued to stare at the dancing flame and busied with her thoughts again. "The stars." His hoarse voice brought her back to reality. "The stars were so bright."

"Yeah, if they are not bright, they will not be called stars, you know." She hissed.

He ignored her sarcastic remark and now stared at those green eyes. They were the most beautiful emerald eyes that he had ever seen. They looked sparkled in the night and although he didn't want to admit it, he found that they were much beautiful than the stars. "Since you've woken up, I see you can take your turn now." He merely nodded.

Lightning decided to ignore the stupid feeling inside her. Maybe it was because of her lack of sleep. She quickly joined Vanille and covered herself with the sleeping bag. She just hoped that she wouldn't have another nightmare.

.

_The Prince and The Blacksmith felt something within them, something they hadn't known __**yet**__._

_._

Morning had come. The Kingdom was in peace until there's a sudden panic inside the castle. The princess was missing!

One of the maids talked to Rufus, who was in charge in the time being, "Your Highness, Princess Vanille was nowhere to be found."

"And that supposed to mean?" Rufus was in the dining room, sat on his favorite chair, and ate the food served for him on the table. For a person who had just being told his cousin was missing, Rufus sure seemed to be relaxed.

"Princess Vanille is missing, we have tried to search everywhere, every corner in this castle has been looked through and she was nowhere to be found." The butler spoke out his opinion. He wanted to tell the King directly, but unfortunately, the King was having another trouble himself.

Rufus stopped eating and stayed silent for a moment until he continued to eat again. It was like there's nothing wrong of the news Vanille was gone. It was like he had already expected that. "Maybe she is just playing with the blacksmith. Why don't you check it out?" Rufus continued silently. The butler nodded and ordered the maid to check to the blacksmith store.

"It seems that the prophecy _is _right." He chuckled lightly and only the wind was his friend.

.

_The Other Prince realized the prophecy has begun._

.

"So, where are we heading next?" That question came from Snow, who was tidying up the sleeping bag with Vanille.

Lightning, who was aware with the question, just shrugged. She simply had no idea where she was going. What she knew that she had to get away fast from that kingdom or else something, something terrible, would happen and God knows what. "One thing for sure," she started, "We have to get out of here, ASAP." Then she looked onto the bright sky. "At morning, this could be the best place ever, but once it's dark." She trailed her statement, leaving them to expect what it was.

"What's going to happen once it's dark?" asked Vanille innocently. Lightning forgot that as a princess, Vanille tended to be inside the castle and was so oblivious with the surrounding. She was just about to explain when Prompto decided to interfere.

"You better not ask that." He said nonchalantly, yet Vanille could hint a worry tone in his voice. She didn't try to ask anything anymore, although she wanted to. She just shrugged it off, hopefully it was nothing.

Staring at the sky, Noctis knew something was off. The birds were flying to the North and Noctis knew it was not the season yet. "Guess we should head North, eh?" asked Snow, who also looked at the same direction as Noctis did. He also noticed the same thing the prince did. Noctis just stared blankly at Snow and nodded.

At first, Lightning didn't realize what's going on until she saw what they had seen. Seem like it was not a very bad idea to bring them along. But they had to hurry, whoever were after her, would not stay quiet once they found out she was nowhere near the Kingdom.

Kingdom.

Princess.

Now it hit her. She looked at the youngest person in the group. "Vanille," She called the name carefully. Vanille looked to where the blacksmith was standing. "How about your house?"

Once Vanille heard the question, she just smiled. Prompto knew that smile because he was the same. It was the smile he used whenever he had to hide something. "It's okay." She was silence. "I guess." She continued again.

The blacksmith knew the princess was hiding something but she didn't want to bring it up anymore. After all it was Snow and her who 'kidnap' the princess (if that could be called kidnap).

"We should hurry." Deciding to break the awkward silence, Snow said that to remind them to hurry.

And they did continue along with the silence. Prompto stayed close to Vanille, hopefully she would want to share her burden. Lightning walked in front because she was the one familiar with the forest while Snow was behind her, watching her every move. Noctis, however, decided to stay behind them. It looked like he was carefully guarding them.

.

_The Princess couldn't tell them the secret she kept._

_._

Coming to see there were so many Royal Soldiers gathered around her place, he knew something was off. He kept a distance to see what was really going on.

"Hey, have you heard? The princess was missing." One of the ladies who stood next to him said to her friends and whoever beside her.

"Yeah, and it seems like they believe the blacksmith took her." The vendor continued.

He smirked though inside he was a little bit sad. With a pace, he walked towards the shop. The Royal Soldier stopped him, yet when they realized who he was, they gave him a curt.

"General Strife!" They said in unison with respect. Yes, after all he was the legend General apart from General Fair and General Sephiroth.

He nodded. "What is wrong?"

One of the Royal Soldiers decided to reply. "The Princess was reported missing this morning and thus Prince Rufus ordered us to check if Princess Vanille is here."

"So, is she?"

"No Sir! And the blacksmith is also missing with her assistants." Cloud smirked upon hearing that, but the soldier was too busy to see it.

"Have you searched her everywhere?" asked him again without his smirk.

"Yes Sir! And we found no one."

"I see." Cloud nodded. One of the soldiers who just came out from the shop stepped to interfere.

"Excuse me, Sir." He said politely. Cloud turned around to see a young boy who had layered silver hair and bright blue eyes. According to Cloud, this lad was just about to reach seventeen and he was wondering since when did the Royal Soldier accept such a young fella?

"And you are?" Ignoring what the boy was going to say, Cloud decided to ask the lad's name first.

"My name is Hope Estheim, Sir. Pardon me, however, I do believe this belongs to you." And there it was, his beloved buster sword. He carefully took it from Hope's hands. Slowly, he opened the fabric which covered the sword.

He chuckled lightly. This led to a confusion among the soldiers. They had never seen him smiled let alone chuckled, so, whatever it was, they were curious. What they saw was nothing strange. It was his famous buster sword, shining and reflecting his owner. Only the wind could hear what he whispered, "You are a good blacksmith, Light."

"Yes, this is mine." He said to Hope. "Thank you for bringing him back to me."

He patted Hope's hair and like before, he just walked away from them and vanished into the air.

"What a lucky day for you, Hope." The first soldier said to Hope. "Not only do you get the change to touch the famous buster sword, but you also being patted by him."

Hope just nodded. "Yes, lucky me."

"Come on, let's head back to castle." All the soldiers, except Hope, were heading back to the opposite direction where Cloud just vanished before. Hope was still staring to where the General was headed before.

"Hope, come on!" Hope quickly turned around and followed the others.

.

_The Knight had gained back what once belonged to him._

.

They were walking in a comfortable silence or at least it was what she kept telling herself. She looked around trying to find a way out of this forest. It was supposed to be an easy task, but why couldn't she find the way out yet? Could it be? Once again she turned left, but this time she didn't forget to leave a mark on one of the trees. He noticed her action and he believed all of them did too. Yet, they all stay quiet, maybe, he thought, it was because they trusted her. When the rest of the group followed her, he stayed behind, waiting near the tree where she left a mark on.

"Hello again." Snow smirked to Noctis who was leaning on the tree. Now, it was obvious someone was playing a prank on them.

It frustrated her so much. She put her right hand beside Noctis' head. "Now tell me something that I need to know."

He only stared at her directly. Neither of them tried to move away or to do something with their position. They only stood still. "_Alica._" trailed Prompto slowly.

"_Alica?_ What's that?" asked Vanille with a bright smile plastered on her face. It seems like anxious was not in her book.

Hearing what Prompto had mentioned, Lightning pulled herself and sighed. She took out her sword. It had been years since the last time she used that. Hopefully she still remembered how to do it. "INCISIO!" Without a doubt she thrust her sword unto the ground and suddenly a sound of a glass shattered was heard along with the view around them.

"She is a blacksmith right? How comes she know how to do a spell?" asked Snow to Vanille, whose only replied was a mischievous grin.

"INCISUM!" An unfamiliar voice also shouted behind Lightning. Lightning just stared at him questioningly yet she shrugged it off. So, the lad knew how to fight then.

When Lightning believed the spell was broken, she asked them to quickly follow her. They dashed as fast as their feet could bring them. After knowing they were at somewhere safe, Lightning stopped. She turned around to see Vanille who was trying to catch a breath with Prompto holding her hand. Snow also tried to manage his breath. On her corner of her eyes, she could see that Noctis was standing still with his hands crossed on his chest leaning on the tree with his eyes closed.

"Lightning, next time warn us if you are being chased by a ghost!" Vanille exclaimed. She let Prompto's hand go, although she felt something's missing, and walked closer to Lightning.

"I'm sorry." Lightning replied softly. A hint of smile was shown on her face but it was too quick to be seen except for him.

"What's wrong?" asked Snow.

"_Alica_." A reply came from Prompto.

"I've heard that and what the hell is that?" Snow was a little bit irritated because it appeared that he was being left out.

"_Alica _is a spell those can be done by a priestess or a priest." Prompto explained carefully. He gripped his shot-gun tightly. He didn't know if it was a good thing. There was a painful memory behind the story and he wasn't sure if he was ready.

"Priestess? Then Light, doesn't that mean you're one?" He turned to Lightning. "I mean, you did the _Incisio _thing before right? Oh, and you lad also did that."

An awkward silence once again covered them. "To put it simple, she learnt it from someone, Snow." Vanille decided to break the silence. "And, it better to keep it as a secret until Lightning and Noctis are ready to tell the story, 'kay?"

Snow nodded reluctantly. He wanted to know more albeit it sounded impossible for then. "We better hurry." It was the first time he opened his mouth that day and it was the right diversion.

Lightning nodded in agreement. "Yeah, we don't want _them_ to catch us."

.

_Once you're done, will you come back?_

.

"They are great, don't you think so? Vincent?" Gladiolus asked Vincent who was standing on the branch above him. He looked up to the red-cloak man. "What's wrong, Valentine?"

Vincent shook his head to reply the question. Knowing the red-cloak man was hiding something, Gladiolus decided to ignore it. "Now I wonder from whom Star learnt a_ Alica."_ He murmured loud enough to be heard by Vincent. "I only know one person who knows that spell."

"Gladiol," Vincent called the dark guy. "You better not mention _her_ name anymore."

"You know what?" Gladiolus became infuriated with Vincent's warning. "I'm sick of you hiding something from me. If you want **this** to be done, you need to tell me everything you know or else, it won't be good for either of us." He glared at Vincent. "And don't you dare to run away, Vince."

Upon hearing that name, a painful memory crossed his mind. _A girl with short black hair calling him with those stupid nicknames but he found himself comfortable with her being. _"Don't. Call. Me. That." He said in a warning tone.

"Try me." mocked Gladiolus.

Glaring at the dark guy, Vincent replied coldly. "No one can call me that." _'Except her._' he continued in his mind. They kept staring for God knows how long. "You will regret this." hissed him.

Smiling, Gladiolus said. "That's why I said try me, Vincent. You do know I like challenge, don't you?"

Before they could fight against each other, Caritas appeared out of nowhere. "If you want to fight one another, this is not the right time."

"Caritas." Gladiolus hissed the name. "What is it?"

"Al asked us to gather. It looks like Hope has something to share."

Gladiolus said, "That brat, what's he done this time?"

Caritas shrugged his shoulder. "I don't know but unless it's important, Al won't ask us."

"Vincent? What do you think?" His mood had calmed down. He asked the red-cloak man nonchalantly like there was nothing happened between them before. His only answer was the vanishing man in the air. "Geez, why can't he reply in a more normal way?"

Caritas chuckled upon hearing the question. "Ludicrous. We are not normal anyway, why should we be?"

"Yeah, you're right." Then they vanished the same way Vincent did.

.

_Secrets are not yet unfold._

.

Note :

Alica : Spell

Incisio/Incisum : Break

At least that was what the google translate told me, lol

Hopefully I can see you soon. Luph u all

Review?


End file.
